MOL, Transpetrol complete Hungary-Slovakia crude line expansion

MOL Group and Transpetrol AS finished reconstruction and capacity expansion of the Friendship I-Adria oil pipeline leg between Szazhalombatta, Hungary (south of Budapest), and Ipolysag, Slovakia, completing a project begun in March 2014.

The companies replaced 128 km from Sahy, Slovakia, to Tokol, Hungary (119 km in Hungary and 9 km in Slovakia), with larger-diameter pipes while also renovating sectioning stations, increasing capacity to 6 million tons/year from 3.5 million tpy. MOL also increased capacity of the Hungarian section of the Adria oil pipeline connecting the Adriatic Sea with Slovakia to 14 million tpy from 10 million tpy.

MOL said the expansion allows it to meet the oil needs of its Bratislava refinery from Adriatic deliveries, with the diversity of supply to Czech refineries also increasing.

Friendship I-Adria opened in 1962. Total cost of the rebuild and expansion was $80 million.