Oil production. File photoBELGRADE, Sep 13The Serbian authorities ensured the replacement of oil from Russia, which, due to Western sanctions, cannot be imported into the country through Croatia, with its own production, raw materials from Iraq and, possibly, Iran, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlovic said. Serbian President Alexander On August 21, Vučić reminded citizens that from November 1, due to sanctions, Serbia will not be able to receive oil from Russia, which is delivered to the country by tankers through the Adriatic Sea, and then through the pipeline through Croatia. Vučić said at the end of June that Serbia was The West to supply oil by tankers from Russia should find an alternative to Russian oil. Then he pointed out that oil can only enter the republic through the JANAF Adriatic oil pipeline from the port of Omišalj in Croatia to the oil refinery in Pancevo of the Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS), which is 56.15% owned by Gazprom Neft and Gazprom.
"From November 1, we will no longer import Russian oil, we will primarily have oil from Kirkuk (Iraq — ed.), We will also have our own oil, because NIS has about 20% of Serbian oil, and the rest will be Iranian or some other oil & # 34;, — the head of the Ministry of Energy of Serbia told the Tanyug agency.
She clarified that in 2021, raw materials from Russia accounted for only 25% of the oil received for processing in Serbia, 20% was domestic production, and the rest came from oil from Iraqi Kirkuk. «When the hostilities began (in Ukraine — ed.), Russian oil was much cheaper and NIS imported more of it, up to 55% of the total volume, but I don’t see any problems in this, they are working on it, contracts are being signed, so we, in any case, will use non-Russian oil, as it is and provided for by the sixth package (sanctions — ed.), Mihajlovic pointed out.The Indonesian authorities are considering the possibility of purchasing Russian oil. According to her, “so far there are no problems” due to the fact that the Russian side owns a larger stake in NIS with its oil refinery in Pancevo. Earlier, the Serbian president said that an alternative raw material — oil from Iraqi Kirkuk — costs 31 dollars per barrel more than the Russian one, which will lead to budget losses of 600 million dollars a year. In mid-July, the President of Serbia suggested that «if necessary, it is possible to agree with the Russians to transfer the NIS to the state during the sanctions and return it back when the sanctions are over.» Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov and Serbian Minister for Innovation and Technological Development Nenad Popovich held a meeting where they discussed how to eliminate the consequences of the impending embargo on Russian oil supplies to Serbia. The port of Omišalj is located in the northern part of the island of Krk in the Adriatic Sea, there is a terminal for receiving tankers with oil and oil products. The state-owned operator of the JANAF oil pipeline in Croatia announced on April 22 that it would continue to supply raw materials to NIS after being withdrawn from the EU sanctions package. In January, NIS signed a new annual contract with JANAF for the supply of 3.2 million tons of crude oil. The expert assessed the new market for Russian oil