Uncertainty continues to surround the operational capacity of a key regional oil transport route, as Slovak refinery operator Slovnaft confirmed that talks with Croatia’s pipeline operator JANAF have not yet resulted in a final agreement on comprehensive capacity testing.
The pipeline system has gained growing strategic importance for Hungary and Slovakia, particularly as both countries seek to reduce dependence on Russian crude oil following disruptions to supplies via the Druzhba pipeline. In this context, the JANAF corridor is increasingly viewed as a critical alternative route for non-Russian oil imports.
According to Slovnaft management, a full technical assessment of the entire pipeline under different seasonal and operational conditions is required to verify whether it can consistently meet regional demand. The company argues that only such extensive testing can provide a reliable evaluation of the system’s true transport capacity.
In contrast, Croatian authorities and JANAF maintain that the existing infrastructure is already capable of handling sufficient volumes, pointing to an estimated annual capacity of around 15 million tons, which they say is adequate to supply refineries operated by the MOL Group in Hungary and Slovakia.
The divergence in positions highlights ongoing disagreements over infrastructure performance at a time when energy diversification and supply security remain key priorities across Central and Eastern Europe.
