Belarus state oil company Belneftekhim said it had started receiving new supplies of Russian oil at its pipeline service station and was planning to start refining it on May 6.

Russia halted oil flows along the Druzhba pipeline to Eastern Europe and Germany last week after some crude was contaminated. The news lifted global oil prices to a six-month high and left refiners in Europe scrambling for supplies.

The Russia energy ministry also said the quality of oil at the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga was expected to return to normal on May 7.