Belarusian state company Belorusneft has bought 80,000 tons of oil from Iran’s national oil company, and the first shipment might be made on February 20.
The oil first is expected to arrive in Odessa or the Latvian Ventspils port, from where the railroad will go to Belarus, the sources reported to Reuters.
Minsk is in search of alternatives to Russian oil supplies, which were cut due to unresolved dispute of the debt for gas. Russia in 2016 cut crude oil supplies to Belarus from the planned 24 million tons to 18 million tons.
Russia’s gas concern Gazprom reported that in the first nine months of last year Minsk’ gas debt has reached $340 million.
