Rosneft to enter bunkering market of Ukraine, Black Sea regions, Baltic and APR in 2008-2010
In 2008-2010, Rosneft plans to enter the bunkering market of Ukraine, Black Sea regions, Baltic Sea and Asia-and-Pacific region, the company reports. Rosneft started implementation of the program on bunkering business development in late 2007. Within the program framework it is planned to sell 1.5-1.7 million tonnes of bunker oil products (heavy fuel oil, marine fuel, lubes) in 2008. According to the forecasts, 40-50% of the fuel is to be sold at the Far Eastern market, 15-25% of the total volume is to be sold via Archangelsk – Murmansk. By 2010, Rosneft plans to sell 3-5 million tonnes of bunker, by 2020 – up to 10 million tonnes per year, RBC reports according to Neft Rosii.
The strategy on bunkering market development envisions a geographical expansion of Rosneft as well as higher volumes to be handled at the company’s own terminals and at the nearby ports. As of today Rosneft has its own terminals in five large bunkering centers – Barents Sea, White Sea, Sea of Japan, Black Sea, Syzran. The major flow of investments will go to the terminals’ modernization and possible acquisition of new on-shore oil tank farms. Besides, Rosneft plans to start production of several types of bunker fuel at its own refineries.
Moreover, Rosneft is to consider the existing market of fuellers’ services and to evaluate the advantages as regards the purchase of second-hand tankers as well as the orders for construction of new vessels.
Rosneft started shipment of bunker fuel to its own sea terminals in November-December 07, when it filled 6 large-capacity vessels in Archangelsk and 7 vessels in Nakhodka. In the nearest future the company is to start supply of bunker fuel to Tuapse, St. Petersburg, Syzran, Rostov-on-Don, Sevastopol, as well as Amur, Lena and Yenisei rivers and to the Far Eastern ports in Primorje (Posiet, Plastun, Vostochny, Nakhodka and Blshoi Kamen) and in Khabarovsk Krai and Sakhalin (Sovgan, Vanino, Kholmsk).
Marine fleet is the one of the world’s largest fuel consumers. Fuel costs achieve 80% of the vessel operation costs. With that, the total capacity of the world bunkering market is 400 million tons of petroleum products per year with $160 billion turnover.