In the German state of Brandenburg there was damage on Wednesday the oil pipeline of the PCK refinery, which caused a large-scale oil spill, said the spokesperson of the regional Ministry of the Environment. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
The PCK refinery near the border with Poland is majority-owned by Rosneft Deutschland – the Russian oil giant’s local subsidiary – and is managed by the German government.
“There was an accident on the PCK pipeline near Gramzow/Zehnebeck… Emergency services intervene on the spot. At this time, it is not possible to provide any information about the cause or the exact extent of the damage.” the spokesman said. He added that the country’s environment minister, Hanka Mittelstaedt, will visit the area on Thursday morning to assess the extent of the damage.
The local newspaper Märkischer Oderzeitung reported that oil sprayed “up to a height of approximately 10 to 12 meters” near the village of Gramzow. A spokeswoman for the PCK refinery, which supplies oil to the capital and surrounding areas, said that Firefighters and a hazardous materials response unit are on the scene trying to minimize damage.
“According to initial findings the cause of the incident was preparatory work for the planned pipeline safety test, which is to take place tomorrow (Thursday),” the spokeswoman added. “At this stage, intentional external influences can be ruled out,” she concluded.
In response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, the German government in September 2022 transferred the German assets of the Russian oil giant Rosneft under the administration of the Federal Energy Regulatory Authority.
