Litvínov, April 7, 2016 – Representatives of Česká rafinérská and MERO ČR have signed an amendment concerning transportation tariffs to the existing Contract on storage and transportation of crude oil via the IKL and Družba pipelines from January 2016. The amendment is effective from 1 April 2016. The annual value of the contracts exceeds one billion crowns.
„Thanks to very intensive negotiations and willingness of both parties to strike a deal in recent months, we managed to set a new form of tariffs. I would like to appreciate a proactive approach of MERO.” said Marek Świtajewski, CEO of Unipetrol. „The signed amendment to the contract is a part of a broader agreement defining terms of cooperation of both companies on the crude oil supply to the Czech republic and this way strengthens resource security of domestic economy,“ added Marek Świtajewski.
„The agreement on the amount of tariffs in an important point after long negotiations related to setting a standart contractual relationship between both companies. The final phase of negotiations strengthened mutual trust and I perceive it as a basis for future cooperation on joint projects, “said Stanislav Bruna, chairman of the board of MERO.
Česká rafinérská, which is 100 percent owned by Unipetrol, and MERO ČR signed the Contract on storage and transportation of crude oil via the IKL and Družba pipeline in January, thereby long-term conditions on the crude oil transportation to the Czech republic were set. The amendment to this contract on the volume of transportation tariffs has now been signed as well as the contract on arrangement of crude oil transportation via the TAL pipeline, where MERO ČR plays there the role of middleman. Estimated annual value of both contracts is more than one billion crowns. Unipetrol assumes significant savings, which level depends on the volume of transported crude oil. The contracts were concluded for an indefinite period of time. The negotiations between both parties have already started in 2010.
Finally, Unipetrol RPA and MERO ČR have signed a memorandum of a possible further intensification of the cooperation in oil storage.
The Družba pipeline is used to transport oil from the Russian Federation to the Litvínov refinery, owned by Česká rafinérská. The IKL pipeline is used to supply the Kralupy nad Vltavou refinery. The total processing capacity of both refineries amounts to about 8.7 million tons of crude oil per year.
UNIPETROL, a.s. controls companies, which are active in the petrochemical industry in the Czech Republic. In 2005, UNIPETROL became part of PKN ORLEN Group, the largest processor of crude oil in Central Europe. The UNIPETROL Group is mainly focused on processing of crude oil, distribution of fuels and petrochemical production. In all of these areas, the UNIPETROL Group is an important player in the Czech Republic and also on the market in Central Europe. In the Czech Republic, the group is one of the most important companies with regards to turnover and employs approximately 3,800 people.
Contact:
Mikuláš Duda
Press Department Manager, UNIPETROL, a.s.
Phone: +420 225 001 407, +420 736 502 520
E-mail:
mikulas.duda@unipetrol.cz
MERO ČR, a. s. (International Pipeline), the owner and operator of the Czech section of the Družba crude oil pipeline and the IKL crude oil pipeline, is the only transporter of crude oil into the Czech Republic and the most important company ensuring storage of strategic emergency crude oil reserves. Both pipelines enter the Central Crude Oil Tank Farm Nelahozeves, where 16 crude oil tanks with the total storage capacity of 1.550.000 m3 are operated..MERO ČR, a. s. was established on January 1, 1994 merging PETROTRANS, a. s. Kralupy nad Vltavou and MERO IKL, a. s. Kralupy nad Vltavou. Consolidation of these companies united the operation of the Družba crude oil pipeline and then construction of the IKL crude oil pipeline of the time under the responsibility of one entity. Since December 2012 the MERO ČR, a.s. Company has owned 5% share in companies which owns and runs the TAL crude oil pipeline. It has been performed an essential step in reference to improving the level of the Czech Republic´s energetic safety due this acquirement.
Contact:
Radomíra Doležalová, MERO ČR a.s.,
Veltruská 748, 278 01 Kralupy n. Vltavou
telefon. 602 613 812, nebo 315 701 319
e-mail: dolezalova@mero.cz, www.mero.cz