Clean Urals started loading at the Russian Baltic port of Ust Luga at the weekend but buyers remained skeptical of its quality.

Refiners have replaced some Urals cargoes with North Sea oil.

Meanwhile, some test runs through the major Druzbha pipeline were being conducted.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday that exports of clean Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline, interrupted due to contamination, would be fully restored in late May or early June.

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