In fall 2007 LUKOIL OJSC plans to put its new crude oil transshipment complex in Varandei (Nenets Autonomous District) into operation, PortNews IAA learnt from LUKOIL representative. The complex is designed for export of crude oil from Varandei field of Timano-Pechersk oil-and-gas province. The complex will be built located close to a terminal of Murmansk Shipping Company (MSC) and will engage its crude oil tank farm.
LUKOIL terminal is a pipeline running into the Barents Sea as far as 18 kilometers from the tanks built earlier (being used by MSC project). The line ends with a single ice-resistant terminal (platform) where tankers with a capacity of up to 150,000 can moor. The platform is to be tugged to Varandei from Kaliningrad in summer 2007.
First tanker to be loaded with crude at LUKOIL terminal in Varandei will have the capacity of about 20 thou tons, the agency’s source thinks. Commissioning may take up to half of a year so first large-capacity tanker (150,000) may not call to Varandei before 2008, he said. One tanker will be able to be loaded every day. However, volume of crude dispatched from the terminal will depend on the capacity of oil well, which is to reach its design capacity (240 barrels per day) by 2010. All this crude is planned to be exported via Varandei terminal.