Djedovic Handanovic: First crude quantities for NIS due on Tuesday

BELGRADE - Serbia's Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Monday that, after almost a hundred days, the first quantities of crude oil for Serbia's oil company NIS were due to arrive via the JANAF pipeline on Tuesday morning and that the Pancevo refinery would start operating around January 16 and produce its first quantities of diesel around January 26-27.

NIS is under US sanctions due to its Russian majority ownership.

"Good news coming on Tuesday morning - after almost a hundred days, the first oil is due to arrive via the Adriatic Pipeline. That is some 85,000 t, to be delivered this week. So, the Pancevo refinery will start operating around January 16, in any case, before the end of the week. We expect the first diesel (quantities) to come out of production and become available on the market around January 26 or 27," Djedovic Handanovic said.

"After the 85,000 t, we expect an additional 35,000-45,000 t of oil to arrive next week," the minister added.