OJSC Sovcomflot and TNK-BP have established a joint working group to explore possibilities of self-propelled tankers construction and tug towing arrangement building in Russian shipyards in order to create an integrated system of mineral oil transportation on the Volga river, the press-service of the oil company TNK-BP reports.
«Within the framework of working group meeting it has been decided to consider the long length tug towing arrangement which would be effective enough to streamline the existing model of river transportations and, simultaneously, contribute to domestic shipbuilding development », it is told in the message.
Let's remind that river traffic of mineral oil by inland waterways of Russia, in particular it refers to the goods carried from oil refining factories, located in the central European part of the country along the Volga river, has a seasonal nature. Navigation in a southern direction (in a direction of Kerch strait) starts in the first decade of April, in northern direction(to ports of St.-Petersburg and Vysotsk) it begins in the end of April. Navigation is completed in November under specific weather conditions.
According to PortNews, the river fleet transports mainly exports mineral oil (black oil, vacuum gasoil and diesel fuel) on the system of inland waterways from Volga oil refineries. In Navigation - 2009 the following carriers of mineral oil products took the vost active part: shipping companies Palmali, Volga-Flot-Tanker, Navigator, Prime Shipping, Bashvolgotanker, Best. The total volume of mineral oil transshipment carried out on inland waterways (including from oil refineries, located on the river Kama and in Bashkiria) has made about 9 million tons in a direction of ports of Northwest and Azov-Black Sea basin.