Half a billion by the new year
Cargo turnover at Russian ports according to year-end figures will exceed 490 million tons. IAA "PortNews" analysts say that in two recent years of the global crisis the country's port industry has just overcome successfully, but also showed high profitability. The growth of cargo handling this year has been at 8.5% beating last year's 1%.
The predominance of liquid cargo in the structure of cargoes passing through ports of Russia has become a good national tradition. Our country still retains its leading position in the global oil tanker market, which affects the volume of Russian seaborne export oil. As expected, during the crisis, oil and petroleum products have become the major cargo at the ports, which demonstrated the largest rebound. According to the forecast of IAA "PortNews, the volume of oil cargo sold for export from the Russian ports in 2009, will amount to more than 290 million tons, an increase will be approximately 10% from the last year. It is worthy of note, according to statistics of the Ministry of Transport of Russia, by the end of last year the volume of transshipment of oil cargo at the ports fell 1% compared with 2007.
Run Oil, Run
Demand for Russia's oil, however, did not boost projects for building new offshore oil terminals. So far no specifics on the construction of new oil ports in the country. The commissioning of the first phase of the oil pipeline "Eastern Siberia - Pacific Ocean (ESPO) and the new terminal in Kozmino bay took place in due time. The decision on construction of the port of Ust-Luga (Leningrad region), the second line of the Baltic Pipeline System (BPS-2) in the European part of the country was made last year. Novorossiysk (including the Caspian Pipeline Consortium) and Primorsky (Leningrad region, BTC) ports are shipping oil in accordance with a planned capacity: in recent eleven months the shipment of oil from Novorossiysk, according to statistics of Ministry of Transport, has grown by 8% over the same period 2008 - to about 80 million tons, from Primorsk - 2%, to 68 million tons. New northern sea terminal Varandey (Nenets Autonomous District) for 11 months of this year provided export handling at 6.7 million tons of oil. The second year of operation of the terminal has brought it nearer to its design capacity at 12 million tones per year. This year the throughput of Belokamenka complex in the port of Murmansk, owned by Rosneft was roughly the same of Varandey rate.
In the crisis of 2009 export crude oil was more profitable than oil products. However, the major oil products terminals (mainly located in the North-West) have shown positive trend. Approximately 12 million tons of oil products were transshipped at the terminals in St. Petersburg (JSC "Petersburg Oil Terminal") and the Vysotsky (“LUKOIL”, Leningrad Region), 3.5 million tons of mazut and vacuum gas oil went via St. Petersburg (“In-Transit"JSC), more than 4 million tons of diesel fuel by the end of this year will have been shipped via the light oil terminal of BalttransServis at the port of Primorsk (Leningrad Oblast, pipeline endpoint "North"). Transshipment of oil products at the southern ports of Russia in 2009, according to the IAA "PortNews", is expected to be over 20 million tons. Tuapse remains the largest regional port providing services for the transportation of petroleum products.
As to the new projects for the transportation of petroleum products the most realistic seem to be plans of a major world oil trader GUNVOR. This is the company, which is starting next year the construction of fuel oil terminal in Novorossiysk with capacity at 4 million tons, and in the first half of 2010 to put into operation the nation's largest grocery terminal (25 million tons per year) in Ust-Luga, designed for rail shipments.
The predominance of liquid cargo in the structure of cargoes passing through ports of Russia has become a good national tradition. Our country still retains its leading position in the global oil tanker market, which affects the volume of Russian seaborne export oil. As expected, during the crisis, oil and petroleum products have become the major cargo at the ports, which demonstrated the largest rebound. According to the forecast of IAA "PortNews, the volume of oil cargo sold for export from the Russian ports in 2009, will amount to more than 290 million tons, an increase will be approximately 10% from the last year. It is worthy of note, according to statistics of the Ministry of Transport of Russia, by the end of last year the volume of transshipment of oil cargo at the ports fell 1% compared with 2007.
Run Oil, Run
Demand for Russia's oil, however, did not boost projects for building new offshore oil terminals. So far no specifics on the construction of new oil ports in the country. The commissioning of the first phase of the oil pipeline "Eastern Siberia - Pacific Ocean (ESPO) and the new terminal in Kozmino bay took place in due time. The decision on construction of the port of Ust-Luga (Leningrad region), the second line of the Baltic Pipeline System (BPS-2) in the European part of the country was made last year. Novorossiysk (including the Caspian Pipeline Consortium) and Primorsky (Leningrad region, BTC) ports are shipping oil in accordance with a planned capacity: in recent eleven months the shipment of oil from Novorossiysk, according to statistics of Ministry of Transport, has grown by 8% over the same period 2008 - to about 80 million tons, from Primorsk - 2%, to 68 million tons. New northern sea terminal Varandey (Nenets Autonomous District) for 11 months of this year provided export handling at 6.7 million tons of oil. The second year of operation of the terminal has brought it nearer to its design capacity at 12 million tones per year. This year the throughput of Belokamenka complex in the port of Murmansk, owned by Rosneft was roughly the same of Varandey rate.
In the crisis of 2009 export crude oil was more profitable than oil products. However, the major oil products terminals (mainly located in the North-West) have shown positive trend. Approximately 12 million tons of oil products were transshipped at the terminals in St. Petersburg (JSC "Petersburg Oil Terminal") and the Vysotsky (“LUKOIL”, Leningrad Region), 3.5 million tons of mazut and vacuum gas oil went via St. Petersburg (“In-Transit"JSC), more than 4 million tons of diesel fuel by the end of this year will have been shipped via the light oil terminal of BalttransServis at the port of Primorsk (Leningrad Oblast, pipeline endpoint "North"). Transshipment of oil products at the southern ports of Russia in 2009, according to the IAA "PortNews", is expected to be over 20 million tons. Tuapse remains the largest regional port providing services for the transportation of petroleum products.
As to the new projects for the transportation of petroleum products the most realistic seem to be plans of a major world oil trader GUNVOR. This is the company, which is starting next year the construction of fuel oil terminal in Novorossiysk with capacity at 4 million tons, and in the first half of 2010 to put into operation the nation's largest grocery terminal (25 million tons per year) in Ust-Luga, designed for rail shipments.
Each box worth weight in gold
Transshipment of dry cargo, as industry experts had predicted at the beginning of 2009, have shown a more modest rates. Three-percent increase in the volume of dry cargo handled by ports compared with 2008 became possible largely due to coal, grains and certain types of metals. This set of export cargoes transshipped via Russian ports, did give rise in dry bulk handling. The most expensive containers, as expected, reduced this year turnover at sea terminals to 20-25%. This can be linked to decline in demand for building products and consumer goods caused by global economy crisis. A serious recession showed our domestic ro-ro terminals, import cars sales slowdown to blame. In general, according to the IAA "PortNews, 2009 will finish with dry cargo transshipment volume at the ports of Russia just at 197-200 million tons against 192 million tones in 2008. As for the next 2010 a rebound in dry cargoes turnover is expected at the ports of the southern basin and in the Ust-Luga (Baltic Sea), as soon as the major terminals currently under construction get into gear.
Either way, the increase in turnover in the crisis year, describes the port industry as the field of efficient economy, which makes port projects attractive to investors provided that the government policy remain competent. If the government keeps on funding the completion of infrastructure at seaports, even such seemingly unreal project as the construction of Murmansk transport unit (MTU), will find its investor and to attract cargo carriers. The upcoming 2010 will cross the t’s in the development of new port areas, allowing merely political projects die on the vine and getting down to projects that meet a need of cargo owners.
Nadezhda Malysheva
Transshipment of dry cargo, as industry experts had predicted at the beginning of 2009, have shown a more modest rates. Three-percent increase in the volume of dry cargo handled by ports compared with 2008 became possible largely due to coal, grains and certain types of metals. This set of export cargoes transshipped via Russian ports, did give rise in dry bulk handling. The most expensive containers, as expected, reduced this year turnover at sea terminals to 20-25%. This can be linked to decline in demand for building products and consumer goods caused by global economy crisis. A serious recession showed our domestic ro-ro terminals, import cars sales slowdown to blame. In general, according to the IAA "PortNews, 2009 will finish with dry cargo transshipment volume at the ports of Russia just at 197-200 million tons against 192 million tones in 2008. As for the next 2010 a rebound in dry cargoes turnover is expected at the ports of the southern basin and in the Ust-Luga (Baltic Sea), as soon as the major terminals currently under construction get into gear.
Either way, the increase in turnover in the crisis year, describes the port industry as the field of efficient economy, which makes port projects attractive to investors provided that the government policy remain competent. If the government keeps on funding the completion of infrastructure at seaports, even such seemingly unreal project as the construction of Murmansk transport unit (MTU), will find its investor and to attract cargo carriers. The upcoming 2010 will cross the t’s in the development of new port areas, allowing merely political projects die on the vine and getting down to projects that meet a need of cargo owners.
Nadezhda Malysheva