Belarus' Lukashenko says damages from contaminated oil 'enormous'

MINSK: The president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday the cost of damages from contaminated oil received via the Russian Druzhba oil pipeline was 'enormous' and Belarus expects compensation from Russia, state-run Belta news agency said.

"Right now we are evaluating the damage... damage is enormous to the pipeline, to the equipment on the pipelines (including pumps on the facilities and the like) and to the oil refineries," Lukashenko was cited as saying.

He said costs could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars and that he hopes Russia will not dispute the costs.

Russia halted oil flows along the Druzhba pipeline, which flows through Belarus to Eastern Europe and Germany, late last month because of contaminated crude, contributing to a rise in global oil prices to a six-month high and leaving refiners in Europe scrambling to find supplies.