Slovakia’s main refiner Slovnaft said Tuesday that Croatian pipeline operator JANAF had sharply reduced deliveries of non-Russian crude, threatening Central Europe’s effort to diversify away from Russian supply. The company, part of Hungary’s MOL Group, reported losing approximately 90,000 tonnes of Arab Light crude that had been contracted for October and November, according to Reuters.
Slovnaft described the decision as a “breach of contract,” warning it “seriously jeopardizes the supply of non-Russian fuel to Central Europe.”
The reduction follows JANAF’s suspension of shipments to Serbian refiner NIS AD, sanctioned by the United States earlier this month, forcing rerouting along the same Adriatic corridor. JANAF has cited “technological reasons” for reallocating volumes but offered no timeline for resumption.
The cut strikes at the heart of the region’s energy diversification plans. Both Slovakia and Hungary rely on the Druzhba pipeline for Russian crude, but have increased intake through Croatia’s Adriatic system to reduce exposure. Slovnaft had planned for non-Russian crude to make up half of its throughput this autumn, which may no longer be possible. The company said replacement cargoes are being sought, but logistical limits and storage constraints could delay processing.
Regional analysts told Balkan Insight that the dispute illustrates “how easily a single transit route can derail EU energy-security strategy”, particularly considering limited spare capacity along the Adriatic line.
No official comment was available from JANAF or Croatia’s energy ministry. The episode leaves Slovakia balancing refinery continuity with political pressure to sustain its pivot away from Russian barrels.
The related disruption further south in Serbia, where the NIS refinery, majority-owned by Gazprom Neft, has seen operations halted after crude deliveries through the Adriatic system were suspended under new U.S. sanctions. The stoppage leaves Serbia dependent on emergency product imports via neighboring EU states and removes one of the few remaining regional outlets processing Russian feedstock.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
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