PRAGUE, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Oil supplies from Russia's Druzhba pipeline to the Czech Republic have been halted again, the Czech oil pipeline operator Mero said on Tuesday.
Acknowledging the interruption of oil supplies, Mero stated that they are contacting all partners and trying to resolve the problem.
Despite the disruption, the operator excluded significant restrictions on the oil supply to refineries in the Czech Republic. It emphasized that state material reserves could cover short-term shortages of oil and oil products for up to 90 days.
Czech Industry and Trade Minister Lukas Vlcek confirmed the halt to the Czech News Agency but assured that domestic oil needs remain unaffected.
"We are aware of the situation and are addressing it. Refineries in the Czech Republic are well-prepared for this situation," he said.
The Czech Republic relies on two primary sources of crude oil: the Druzhba pipeline and the German IKL pipeline, which connects to the Italian TAL pipeline.
Last December, oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline were interrupted for several days. ■
