​The companies ČESKÁ RAFINÉRSKÁ, a.s. and Transpetrol, a.s. signed in Prague an amendment to the contract on crude oil transportation via the Družba pipeline. Both partners agreed on conditions of the transportation of the crude material until 2020.

“Both sides are satisfied with the terms of the existing contract, and therefore we decided to extend its validity for a further four years. The new long-term agreement is a contribution to strengthening security of crude oil supply to the Czech Republic” - says Marek Świtajewski, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Unipetrol. "This contract also shows that the good will of the parties may result in the conclusion that is mutually beneficial. Currently, our priority is to finalize the agreement with the Czech operator of the pipeline - MERO. We hope that after a long period of intensive negotiations, we will finally manage to normalize these relations.”

The existing contract was valid until the end of 2016. The expected volume of crude oil which should flow in each year to the Litvínov refinery amounts to about 4 million tonnes per year.

The contract for the supply of the crude oil is based on an intention to establish a price for the crude oil transportation which covers eligible costs that the company Transpetrol incurs in connection with the transportation, including commensurable profit.

The crude oil is transported through the Družba pipeline from the Russian Federation to the Litvínov refinery, owned by the Česká rafinerská. A part of the pipeline located in the territory of the Slovak Republic is managed by the Transpetrol, a.s.