The ‘Druzhba Adria’ pipeline would be 3200 km long and would go through Belarus, The Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia. Overall costs of the project are estimated at $300 million. The project was planned in 3 phases in relation to the pipeline capacity. In the first phase the planned capacity of the pipeline is 5 million tonnes of crude oil, while in the second and the third phases planned capacities are 10 and 15 million tonnes. Two Russian oil companies (YUKOS and Tyumen) have provided guarantees to transport 2.5 million tonnes each.

In December 2002, Croatia signed an agreement on the project with Russia and other transit countries. This decision was not preceded by Parliamentary discussion. The agreement was signed for a 10 year period with a planned extension for another 10 years. However, the project provoked strong opposition by local and national environmental organisations. They claimed that the project will have devastating impacts for the ecosystem of the Kvarner gulf and for local tourism activities. They highlighted the high environmental risk from oil spills and accidents, as well as the risk of contamination of the Adriatic Sea by ballast water from oil ships. Finally, opponents argued that Croatia will have insignificant profit from the project.

The start of the project was planned in 2004, but it was stopped in 2005 by the Croatian Government, because the relevant authority did not approve the project EIA and due to the pressure of environmental activists and local residents. In 2010, Prime Ministers of Jadranka Kosor, Croatia and Vladimir Putin, Russia discussed the project, but they did not come to a new agreement. However, there are still groups interested in the project's renewal.

(See less)

The agreed cost of oil transit was $0.64 a tonne per 100 kilometres.

(See less)