Pipelines may contain 5 mln tonnes of polluted Russian oil - operator

Pipelines in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Poland are estimated to contain 5 million tonnes of contaminated Russian oil, Belarus's state news agency Belta cited an operator of the Belarusian section of the Druzhba pipeline as saying on Tuesday. Andrei Verigo, first deputy head of Gomeltransneft Druzhba, said the pipeline would reach 60-65 percent of its average annual capacity on May 10-11, Belta reported.

It could take up to six months before the pipeline starts operating at full capacity, he added.