Bulgaria may have serious problems with fuel supplies due to the growing risk to commercial shipping in the Black Sea. This was stated to the Bulgarian National Radio by former deputy minister of foreign affairs and economy Milen Keremedchiev.
“In Bulgaria, we may have serious problems with both fuel supplies for servicing by “Lukoil“ and with the supplies of bulk cargo“, said Keremedchiev. According to him, oil supplies to the refinery in Burgas come mainly by ship, and the port of Varna serves both bulk and container cargo.
His warning comes after a series of attacks on merchant ships. On October 6, two vessels were hit by drones in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. One ship sank, and the crew of the other was rescued. Later, inspections of one of the hit vessels began.
Keremedchiev said that four ships had been hit within five days. According to him, an additional military premium is already being charged for shipping in the Black Sea, which increases the cost of transportation by tens of thousands of dollars.
“In just 7 days, the time it would take for a cargo ship to travel through the Black Sea to our ports and back, it can increase the cost of transportation by up to 100 thousand dollars“, said Milen Keremedchiev.He warned that if the attacks continue, shipowners may refrain from sailing, as transportation will become unprofitable and the risk to the crews will increase. According to him, this may affect not only fuel, but also the supply of other goods through Bulgarian ports.
Official data does not indicate a shortage
At the moment, official data does not indicate an interruption in fuel supplies. On September 23, the National Assembly indicated that there are no problems with the supply of diesel fuel and other petroleum products in the country. At that time, it was reported that “Lukoil Neftochim Burgas“ has about 50,000 tons of diesel fuel, defined as a surplus compared to the needs of the domestic market, and the refinery is operating at about 90% of its capacity.
On October 1, the special manager of “Lukoil“ Rumen Spetsov stated that the necessary supplies for October have been secured, and part of the raw material for November has already been agreed. The British license for the activities of “Lukoil“ in Bulgaria has been extended until October 29.
Thus, Keremedchiev's warning refers to a potential logistical risk if the attacks continue and the price of sea transport increases, and not to a currently confirmed fuel shortage in the country.
Sources: epicenter.bg, nova.bg, apnews.com