Gomel–Gorki Oil Pipeline

This article is part of the Global Fossil Infrastructure Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.

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Gomel–Gorki Oil Pipeline (Russian: МНП "Гомель-Горки"), also stylized as Gomel–Horki Oil Pipeline, is an oil pipeline under construction in Belarus.

Location

The pipeline will run from Gomel to Gorki, Belarus. The route will pass through seven districts of the Gomel and Mogilev regions, connecting Mozyr Oil Refinery in Mazyr and Naftan in Novopolotsk within Belarus.

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Project details

• Operator: Gomeltransneft Druzhba JSC
• Owner: Gomeltransneft Druzhba JSC
• Parent company: Transneft (via Transneft Druzhba)
• Capacity: 6 mtpa
• Length: 207 kilometers
• Diameter: 530 mm
• Status: Idle
• Start year: 2023 (expected)
• Cost: US$123 million
• Financing:
• Associated infrastructure: Druzhba Oil Pipeline

Background

The pipeline was proposed in April 2020, when a spokesperson for the Belarusian state petrochemical company Belneftekhim stated that a new oil pipeline would be built, connecting Mozyr Oil Refinery and Naftan. It is aimed at creating easy connections between the northern and southern branches of the Druzhba Oil Pipeline, specifically Unecha-Mozyr-Adamovo and Unecha-Polotsk. "The southern branch has always been associated with the Mozyr Oil Refinery only. Naftan could receive alternative oil only by rail. With the new project implemented, it will be possible to use the southern branch for alternative supplies to Naftan," said the spokesperson. It was expected to be constructed between 2020 and 2023

Disputed Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko signed an order on April 29, 2020 to provide oil to refineries in Belarus, which included building the pipeline.

Russia had been monopolistically suppling oil to Belarus, and in 2020 it was necessary to find ways of diversification to demonstrate the country's independence. Against the backdrop of periodic price disagreements with Russia, Belarus began importing tanker oil from alternative sources, prompting the need to connect two Belarusian refineries for efficient distribution of oil arriving from ports (from Odessa and Klaipeda). One-time deliveries were made from Norway, Saudi Arabia, with two batches from the USA, while Azerbaijan handled monthly deliveries. The oil pipeline was supposed to enable the supply of oil to the Naftan and Mozyr refineries from the southern direction via the Odessa-Brody pipeline through Ukraine or from another direction in case of reverse flows from Poland or the Baltic states. In September 2020, Gomeltransneft Druzhba coordinated with the operator of the Polish section of the Druzhba oil pipeline, PERN, on technical regulations for reverse oil deliveries from Poland. However, currently, these deliveries are practically impossible due to the geopolitical situation, and loading the pipeline will be a significant challenge for Belarus.

OAO Gomeltransneft Druzhba designed and built pipeline, while Belorusneft served as a general contractor for the project. On May 8, 2020, SOCAR Construction LLC announced it "plans to take part in the construction project of the Gomel-Gorki main pipeline." Construction of the pipeline began in October 2020, and the pipeline was intended to become operational in 2023. The construction works were complete in August 2022. As of February 2023, there have not been any updates about operations of the pipeline and the pipeline is presumed not to be operating.