Slovak oil refiner Slovnaft is seeking crude from Latin America as supply disruptions limit access to its traditional sources, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights in a March 27 report.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Marek Senkovic, said Slovnaft has already secured cargoes from the region to help offset shortages linked to pipeline outages and shipping constraints.
“We are now beginning to import two types of oil from Latin America, which should arrive in around 80 days,” Senkovic told public service broadcaster STVR on March 26.
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Slovnaft operates a 122,000 barrels per day refinery in Bratislava. Until January 27, it relied almost entirely on Russian crude supplied through the Druzhba pipeline. That route was taken offline following a drone attack, leaving the Adria pipeline through Croatia as its only import option for more than a month. Before the disruption, the company sourced crude via Croatia from Libya, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, and Norway.
However, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed significantly, limiting access to Middle Eastern supply and forcing the company to look further afield.
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S&P Global Commodities at Sea data shows that deliveries from Latin America to the Croatian port of Omisalj, which feeds the Adria pipeline, have been rare. In November 2025, a cargo of Guyana’s Liza crude was delivered to the port. Other shipments from the region have been limited, with the last US cargo recorded in September 2023.
The move reflects a similar supply adjustment seen during the Russia-Ukraine war, when European buyers turned to alternative crude sources, including barrels from Guyana, after disruptions to established flows.
The Slovak government has declared a state of emergency in the fuel sector. Measures include limits on diesel purchases and higher prices for foreign motorists to protect domestic supply.
