More Russian oil reloading in Norway
The number of ship-to-ship oil reloading operations outside Norwegian North Cape will double in 2009, company Kirkenes Transit reports. So far this year, a total of 540,000 tons of Russian oil has been reloaded in the Norwegian far northern waters.
In 2007, nine oil reloading operations have taken place in the Sarnes Fjord south of North Cape. About 540,000 tons of Russian oil has been reloaded. Now, negotiations over next years operations have started. What is sure is that the number of operations and the amount of oil will increased significantly, newspaper Finnmark Dagblad reports. -We have been requested to double the number of operations. It might be as many as 20, head of the Kirkenes Transit company, Ulf Terje Hagen confirms. The amount of gas condensate might in that case increase to about 1,2 million tons. Also black oil will be reloaded. The Russian oil is transported mainly from the White Sea, from where it has been transported by railway from Russian oil fields. It is also believed that oil major Lukoil might consider to increase oil exports through Norway as the Varandey port in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug is fully operated. Kirkenes Transit is owned by Norwegian shipping companies Tschudi Shipping AS and Viking Sea AS.
