ODESA, JUNE 17th, 2011, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE — assistant to CEO of Lukoil Oleksandr Bibik says the matter with oil supplies from Urals under consideration, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

Mr Bibik told our correspondent about it today, 17 June, commenting on the rumours in the media about a possible launch of Odesa Oil Refinery in 2011and the oil supplies via the port of Yuzhny.

“The company management is, indeed, discussing the start of Odesa Oil Refinery in 2011, and indeed there was a statement about of Urals oil shipments via the port of Yuzhny from Urals. But both this matter and the matter with starting the refinery plant is now under discussion”, said Mr Bibik.

Previously, the Interfax published the statement of the vice-president of Lukoil Valery Subbotin that Lukoil expects to resume the Odesa refinery in 2011. The company planned to load Urals oil, coming via Yuzhny.

“We are not going to work with Azeri Light”, said Victor Subbotin, adding that about three weeks ago, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered the “Transneft” to work out the issue of providing Urals supplies via the port of Yuzhny in the amount of 9 million tons per year.

INFORMATION: Odesa Oil Refinery was put into operation in 1937 as a cracking plant. In 2000 it was renamed to OJSC Lukoil Odesa Oil Refinery. 97 % of the shares are held by Lukoil – a Russian oil company. After a long reconstruction the plant’s operation was resumed on 18 April 2008. As the result of its reconstruction its processing depth was increased from 56 % to 80 %, while its production capacity remained 2,8 million tons per year.