SOFIA, August 5 (Itar-Tass) —— LUKOIL Bulgaria will meet its commitment of the installment of controlling and measuring devices at the Burgas refinery by December, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borrisov said after negotiations with LUKOIL CEO Vagit Alekperov.
“Alekperov apologized for the inconveniences caused by the delay and said that the works would be financed in September. Contracts are signed, and the measuring devices will be installed no later than in December,” he said.
Bulgarian customs sealed LUKOIL Bulgaria warehouses in late July under the pretext the company had failed to install remote control sensors at the Burgas refinery. The refinery had to suspend operation, which caused social tensions. The company appealed the decision of customs officers at the Sofia Administrative Court and resumed production. A final decision will be made at the Supreme Administrative Court within days.
The LUKOIL Bulgaria situation remains tense. The production of fuel has resumed almost fully, but further operation of the Burgas refinery is in question. The company and the national government are waiting for a ruling of the Supreme Administrative Court, which may uphold the first court’s decision that returned the license to the company or support the customs officers that revoked the license.
The ruling of the Sofia Administrative Court, which said that LUKOIL was the only supplier of jet fuel, caused another protest. Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister Traicho Traikov asked the Bulgarian antimonopoly service to verify the company for possible abuse of its dominant position on the Bulgarian petroleum products market and violation of competition rules.