WARNING Crude oil exports from Russia have fallen! Soon there will be a big DEFICIENCY OF NAFTA – Bratislava.zoznam.sk

BRATISLAVA – Europe is facing the prospect of a shortage of oil as its flows from Russia shrink as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. Trafigura Group, a leading European external oil supplier, has seen exports of crude oil and petroleum products fall by approximately 2 to 2.5 million barrels (1 barrel = 159 liters) per day since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This was said by Trafigura Group CEO Jeremy Weir at the Global Times Global Commodity Summit. “It simply came to our notice then. The oil market is extremely tense. And it will be even more tense and will probably lead to stock shortages, ”Weir said. The consultancy Energy Aspects estimates that European oil reserves will fall to its lowest level since 2018 this month. At the same event, Gunvor Group CEO Torbjorn Tornqvist pointed out that Russian refineries are reducing production, which increases the risk that the situation on the European oil market, which is already in short supply, will worsen. Russian refineries are still supplying fuel to Europe, but trade is becoming increasingly difficult. After the invasion, transport companies, banks and buyers avoid trading in Russian energy products within the so-called “This will force Russian refineries to reduce production, which we are already seeing,” Tornqvist said, adding that this meant that more oil would have to be imported instead of products, but that was not possible. Oil prices in Europe have risen sharply in recent weeks. At the beginning of March, contract prices jumped to new record levels, as fears of a supply disruption from Russia exacerbated the already tense market situation. To illustrate, heating oil prices in Germany rose by more than 50% in the week to March 14. Refinery of the joint-stock company Slovnaft in Bratislava. Source: TASR / Michal SvítokThis is another unpleasant information for Slovak industry, economy and economy. Production is limited not only by the largest European producer of artificial fertilizers in Europe, Duslo Šaľa, but also by the largest Slovak factory, Volkswagen Slovakia. With the already existing shortage of strategic raw materials such as aluminum, copper, nickel, magnesium, neon, the shortage of semiconductors, chips, catalysts and the complete shutdown of natural gas and oil supplies from Russia, there is a real suspension of car production in Slovakia. The production is limited not only by the largest European producer of artificial fertilizers in Europe, Duslo Šaľa, but also by the largest Slovak factory, Volkswagen Slovakia. “We are not going to 100%, it is starting to gradually reduce processing. It is not possible, because, as I said, we buy part on long-term natural gas contracts, part on spots, and it is so high today that it does not pay off economically. So we are gradually starting to reduce the processing, so that we will approach the limit of the technological minimum as soon as possible and we will continue to wait, “admitted the general director of Duslo Šaľa, Petr Bláha. We asked Lucia Kovarovič Makayová, a spokeswoman for Volkswagen Bratislava, for information on the current situation in Volkswagen Bratislava. The Office for the Regulation of Network Industries does not rule out the introduction of extraordinary energy regulation. Source: TASR / Michal SvítokVolkswagen Bratislava will resume production in all segments for a few days at the beginning of this week due to a lack of semiconductor components as well as other parts. Can this indicate another and even more significant interruption of production, until the closure of the Volkswagen Bratislava factory? – At the beginning of this week, on Monday and Tuesday, production in all segments at Volkswagen Slovakia was interrupted. The reason for the continuous adjustment of production is the persistent long-term global shortage of semiconductors due to the coronavirus pandemic, combined with a partial outage of some parts due to events in Ukraine. The production plan is continuously adjusted depending on the availability of parts. Outages or production shutdowns in the Slovak automotive industry can cause the collapse of the Slovak economy and extreme economic damage and financial losses. This is due to the lack of diversification of the supply chain of European companies linked to supplies from third countries. Is Volkswagen Bratislava ready for this? – Volkswagen Slovakia continues to monitor the situation closely and continuously evaluates it. The Volkswagen Group’s global supply network, which includes more than 40,000 suppliers, also includes suppliers from western Ukraine. Due to the current situation in this region, there may be constraints in the supply chain. This may lead to an adjustment of production in the individual group plants, as was the case at the beginning of this week at Volkswagen Slovakia. The Group Purchase is in intensive contact with the given suppliers and is examining alternative solutions. How many people are currently employed in Volkswagen Bratislava, including suppliers and subcontractors? – Volkswagen Slovakia employed approximately 11,500 people last year. We do not comment on the number of employees of partner and supplier companies. Can we expect a radical increase in prices when selling new and used cars in Slovakia? – Volkswagen Slovakia is a production plant, it does not sell vehicles to the end customer, nor does it participate in the pricing of products, so please direct the question to the importer. What volume of spare parts, components and components does Volkswagen Bratislava import to Slovakia from Ukraine and Russia and is it possible to produce cars in Slovakia without their deliveries? – Please understand that we do not answer hypothetical and speculative questions. The development of the situation is unpredictable and it is premature to evaluate and comment on it in any way.