Oil shipments to the Baltic States' only refinery via Druzhba-1, a branch of the vast Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline system, were suspended in July following an accident in western Russia, have not been resumed.
Semyon Vainshtok said the timeframe for reconstruction "depends on the recommendations of the Federal Service for the Oversight of the Environment, Technology and Nuclear Management. It is expected to complete its studies in March next year."
Russia's continued suspension of crude supplies to the Mazeikiu Nafta refinery was seen by analysts as a punitive measure following the Lithuanian government's decision to sell the refinery to Poland's PNK Orlen, rejecting Russian bids. Poland is currently pressuring Russia to sign an international energy treaty entailing supply guarantees.
The Transneft chief said that the company will specify whether the reconstruction work will take "a month, a year or a week" only after it receives the official recommendations.
Earlier this year Sergei Grigoryev, Transneft's deputy chief executive, said the pipeline monopoly was ready to replace the entire Druzhba-1 pipeline if necessary.
"At the moment, nothing specific depends on Transneft. We are waiting for a decision from an independent study, which we will implement, whatever it may be," he said.
Druzhba-1 is the northern section of the world's largest pipeline network. Built in the Soviet era, the Druzhba system pumps Siberian and Urals oil from Samara in Russia's Volga region to Central European countries including Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Following the July accident, which caused a minor spillage in western Russia, operator Transneft has considered replacing the 42-year-old pipeline branch.
Grigoryev gave reassurances that Transneft does not plan to close the pipe: "If it is necessary to fully replace it, we will do this. But it is important to note that we are talking about replacing, not dismantling it."
