Polish pipeline operator PERN said based on first findings and the manner in which the Druzhba pipeline was deformed, it appears that at this point there are no signs of any third-party interference on late Wednesday.
PERN said that after removing most of the contamination from the area near the crude oil pipeline damaged yesterday, technical services have located the site of the spill.
'Based on first findings and the manner in which the pipeline was deformed, it appears that at this point there are no signs of any third-party interference. However, more detailed analyses are underway to determine the cause of the incident and to repair the pipeline so that crude oil pumping can be restarted as soon as possible,' the company said.
It added that in addition to the action to repair the Western section, which supplies oil to Germany, PERN has started intensive remediation work to return the site to its original state as soon as possible.
PERN said Wednesday that it detected a leak Tuesday evening in one of the two lines of the Druzhba pipeline.
The leak, on one of the two strands of the western section of the pipeline, was found in the city of Wloclawek, 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) from the country’s oil hub Plock in central Poland.
According to the pipeline operator, other parts of the pipeline, including the Pomeranian section, which pumps crude oil arriving in Poland and then also to Germany, are operating in standard mode.
Druzhba is the world's largest pipeline system, connecting Siberia and Europe.
The pipeline is the main source of oil supplies to Polish refineries, with a total capacity of 56 million tons per year.
By Murat Temizer
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr