World Bunkering > News > Winter 2010 > New tankers for Gazpromneft

The bunker tanker intended for St Petersburg has a capacity of some 4,500 tons, and is built in line with MARPOL regulations, said Andrey Vasilyev, ceo of Gazpromneft Marine Bunkers. The tanker was renamed Gazprom Neft-Zuid and will operate in the waters of the Big Port of St Petersburg.

“This ship has double sides and double bottom. She complies completely with environmental requirements of the international MARPOL Convention. This ice-class tanker runs on fuel oil, which makes its operation very effective,” Mr Vasilyev said. A similar vessel was purchased in early November 2010. The second bunker tanker will be named Gazpromneft-Nord and will supply bunker fuel at the port of Murmansk.

“ Both tankers are built to the same design as the bunker ships we have acquired previously; Gazpromneft-West, which operates at the port of Novorossiysk, and Gazprom Neft-East in St Petersburg, but they have greater capacity,” said Mr Vasilyev. The new acquisitions bring Gazpromneft Marine Bunker’s fleet to 10 tankers.

“All of them meet requirements of MARPOL Convention,” said Vasilyev. He added that his company was well prepared for new regulations which come into force in 2011. Under these rules, singlehull bunker tankers will no longer be permitted to operate in Russian ports. It is estimated that Russia has a single-hull bunker tanker fleet of some 600,000 dwt.

Gazpromneft Marine Bunker is a subsidiary of Gazprom Neft, which supplies bunker fuel to marine and river vessels. The company was founded in October 2007. Gazpromneft Shipping is the operator of Gazpromneft Marine Bunker’s fleet.