CRO GOVT GIVES CONSENT TO JANAF'S JOINING DRUZBADRIA CONSORTIUM

ZAGREB, March 18 (Hina) - The Croatian Government on Thursday gave its consent to the Jadranski Naftovod (JANAF) company to participate in the establishment of and membership in the international consortium for transporting oil by the Druzbadria system. The project would enable the export of oil from Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union to the international market via JANAF and the Omisalj oil port on the northern Adriatic island of Krk. The transporting route would be 3,200 kilometres long, starting in Russia, and would include Byelorussia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia. In Croatia, the route would go through the existing 300 kilometres long JANAF pipeline. The countries stated above have signed a protocol of the Druzbadria project in Zagreb, in October 1997. At the last meeting of representatives of the countries participating in the project, which was held in Moscow in late February, the JANAF management expressed interest in transporting 12 to 15 million tonnes of oil according to the transportation tariff of US$0.85 per 100 kilometres. The annual income of transporting oil through Croatia would amount between US$29.4 million and US$36.8 million, with an additional US$30 million to US$37.5 million, for services in the port of Omisalj. The JANAF system transports approximately US$6 million tonnes of oil annually, and the system has a capacity of 32 million tonnes. (hina) it jn/lml