Trading companies Vitol and Unipec are sending around 700,000 tonnes of contaminated Russian oil to Asia in an attempt to place the barrels rejected by buyers in Europe, according to trading sources and ship tracking data. FILE PHOTO: An oil storage tank of Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneft is pictured at the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga, Russia February 26, 2018. REUTERS/Vladimir Soldatkin/File Photo A key Russian pipeline to Europe, Druzhba, and a major port Ust-Luga have been contaminated with organic chloride, which can damage refining equipment. As a result, Russia was forced to reduce exports in the worst ever supply disruption. Vitol and Unipec are mainly targeting Chinese independent refiners, or teapots, which have shown interest in taking the oil, traders said. According to Reuters sources with Chinese refiners, they have been recently shown cargoes of Urals crude that contain organic chloride ranging from 30-50 […]