13.05.03

Ukraine mulls options for transporting Caspian oil to German port

Ukraine's Ukrtransnafta is looking at two possible routes to transport Caspian oil to the German deep-water port of Wilhemshafen.

The route may lie across Poland and use the future Odessa - Brody pipeline, or it might cross Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Alexander Todiichuk, the chief executive of Ukrtransnafta, told reporters.

Germany said it might like to ship Caspian crude to Wilhelmshafen during the trade fair in Hannover in April.

Mikhail Honchar, an aide to Todiichuk, said the second of the two options would dispense with the need to build an extra pipeline. The existing one could be used and brought up to full capacity.

PricewaterhouseCoopers is looking at the feasibility of both routes. It is organizing the commercial aspects of the Odessa - Brody project. Honchar said that in his view both routes were viable.