BAMBULYAK A.N.S FRANTZEN B.O. Svanhovd Environmental Centre, Norway

In the year of 2002 the amounts of oil transportation along the Norwegian coast from the North-West of Russia increased considerably.

It could be accounted for by the general increase of oil production in Russia and by a growing influx of oil from the Eastern regions to transshipping terminals in the White and Barents seas. The previous sea transit volume forecasts made by the Norwegian Coastal Administration in cooperation with the Russian state institutions were based on the prospects of oil production and oil extraction infrastructure development in the Russian part of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region. However the fact volumes of oil transportation noticeably exceeded the expected ones.

In 2003 Svanhovd Environmental Centre, by the request of The Barents Secretariat, prepared and published the report "Oil transport from the Russian part of The Barents Region" with brief overview of the volumes and schemes of the oil transportation, and prospects for transport infrastructure development. In 2004 the second report is up-dated and more attention given to the issues of the oil pollution prevention and liquidation, and the Russian-Norwegian cooperation.

Oil transport along the Norway's northern coastline is one of the hottest topics discussed by the Norwegian society in Northern Norway and it is also one of the most important issues of today's political agenda. This situation makes us think that the Norwegian authorities did not anticipate the recent developments and were taken off guard in view of the increased development and oil transport growth. For example, in July 2002 450 000 tons of oil and oil products were delivered from Russia along the Norwegian northern coastline, in July 2003 -800 000 tons, in July 2004 - 1 200 000 tons. According to the forecast for the year 2004 about 340 tankers will pass Norway from the north to the south and transport 12,5 million tons of oil.

Russian has a developed infrastructure and experience for energy supplies delivery in the cisterns by the railway and in river tankers by inland waterways. When Russia got an opportunity to increase hydrocarbon export volumes the additional transportation routes and logistic plans for the northern gateway were elaborated. At present hydrocarbons are shipped mainly in the form of crude oil or fuel oil, which are delivered by railway or local pipelines to the ports of the White and Barents Seas to be loaded on tankers for export to the western market directly or via the oil reloading terminals in the Kola bay.

There is also oil transportation by river tankers via inland waterways for further reloading in the sea. While the hydrocarbon transportation schemes are elaborated the transport infrastructure is also modernized and developed.

THE MAIN POINTS OF OIL AND OIL PRODUCTS RELOADING IN THE RUSSIAN PART OF THE BARENTS REGION

1. Varandey oil loading terminal. The transportation scheme (all-year-round): local pipeline - oil storage - underwater pipeline (4.8 km) - shuttle tanker (20 000 tons) - storage tanker (127 000 tons) in the Kola bay - delivery tanker. It is planned to build underwater reloading complex in 12 km away from the shore that will allow reloading crude oil into tankers with deadweight up to 80 000 tons. The oil transportation is managed by the "Murmansk Shipping Company". Oil spill prevention and liquidation measures are taken by "Murmansk Basing Salvage Department" (hereafter "MBSD"). 200 000 tons of crude oil were loaded from Varandey terminal in 2002; in 2003 - 400 000 tons; and by 2015 it is planned to load 12 million tons of crude oil for export.

2. Prirazlomnoye oil deposit. The ice resistant off-shore oil production platform should be installed on the deposit in 2005. The oil production by the year 2010 should reach the volume of 7,5 tons a year. The transportation scheme (all-year-round): platform "Prirazlomnaya" -shuttle tanker - storage tanker in Kola bay - delivery tanker. Oil transportation from Prirazlomnoye deposit and development service will be provided by Far Eastern Marine Company.

3. Peschanoozersk terminal on Kolguev Island. The transportation scheme (summer navigation): local pipeline - oil storage - underwater pipeline - delivery tanker (20 000 tons). 120 000 tons of crude oil was delivered from Kolguev island in 2002; in 2003 - 80 000 tons. In the future oil flow volumes can grow insignificantly due to the limited capacity of oil field reserves on the island.

4. Arkhangelsk oil base of "Rosneft-Arkhangelsknefteprodukt" company. The transportation scheme (all-year-round): pipeline to Privodino railway station and terminal - oil cisterns - Arkhangelsk oil base - delivery tanker or shuttle tanker (up to 25 000 tons) - storage tanker (360 000 tons) in the Kola bay. 1,9 million tons of oil and oil products was loaded for export in 2002; in 2003 - 1,7 million tons; in 2004 it is planned to load 3,4 million tons and increase the annual oil loading capacity up to 6 million tons. The oil spill prevention and liquidation measures are operated by the specialized unit of the Arkhangelsk oil base.It is planned to build oil loading complex in Severodvinsk, which will work by the similar transportation scheme: pipeline - oil cisterns - oil storage base - tanker.

5. Sea oil loading complex in Onega bay. The transportation scheme (summer navigation): delivery of fuel oil by river tankers (2 700 tons) by the WhiteSea-Baltic canal -reloading to delivery tanker (30 000 tons) in the sea. Oil transportation and reloading was carried out during summer navigation of the year 2003. In 2004 the work of the oil loading complex was stopped due to accidental oil spill in September 2003. Fuel oil reloading was managed by "Volgatanker" company, oil spill prevention and liquidation measures was taken by "Morskaya Liga" Ltd. 220 000 tons of fuel oil was exported in 2003, it was planned to increase the oil and oil products loading volumes up to 800 000 tons a year.
The building of stationary oil reloading complex in Onega bay is proposed with realization of another transportation scheme: oil cisterns to Onega port - shuttle tanker - storage tanker in Onega bay - delivery tanker.

6. Oil reloading complex in Vitino port. The transportation scheme (all-year-round): oil cisterns (from Yaroslavl or Moscow terminals) - White Sea oil base - delivery tanker or shuttle tanker (up to 25 000 tons) - delivery tanker (100 000 tons) in Kola bay. Since the year 2004 the oil spill prevention and liquidation measures are operated by the specialized department of the "Vitino" port. 2,9 million tons of oil was loaded in 2002; in 2003 - 5,8 million tons; in 2004 the volumes of oil reloaded were decreased, hi the future it is planned to increase the reloading capacity up to 12 million tons a year.
The plans for creation roadstead oil reloading complex in Kandalaksha bay are
discussed, then new transportation scheme should be implemented: shuttle tankers (20 000 tons) from Vitino port - delivery tanker or storage tanker (100 000 tons) in Kandalaksha bay.

7. Oil reloading complexes in Kola bay. From the year 2002 three roadstead oil reloading complexes (hereafter "RRC") have been built and put into operation, as well two oil loading complexes were established in Murmansk oil storage base of the Fishing port and the Plant No. 35.
The oil loading complex in Murmansk oil storage base in the Fishery port started its oil reloading operations for export in 2004. The reloading scheme (all-year-round): oil cisterns -oil storage base - shuttle tanker (up to 20 000 tons) - RRC1. The oil spill prevention and liquidation measures are taken by oil storage base.

The oil loading complex in the Plant No. 35 also started its work in 2004 by the similar scheme as in the Fishery port. The company "Gidrotekhservis" is responsible for oil spill prevention and liquidation.

RRC1 of the Murmansk Shipping Company was built in 2002, from 2004 oil reloading is implemented via the storage tanker. The reloading scheme (all-year-round): shuttle tanker (up to 20 000 tons) from Murmansk oil storage base. Plant No. 35 and of Varandey terminal - storage tanker (127 000 tons) - delivery tanker. Oil spill prevention and liquidation measures are taken by MBSD. 700 000 tons of crude oil was sent for export in 2002; in 2003 -3.8 million tons. The project loading capacity of RRC1 is 5,4 million tons a year.

RRC2 of "White Sea Service" was built and put in operation in December 2003 but worked for three months only. The transportation of oil was done by the scheme: shuttle tanker (up to 25 000 tons) from Vitino port - delivery tanker.
RRC3 "Belokamenka" of "Rosneft" oil company with storage tanker for 360 000 tons was opened in March 2004. Oil is delivered to storage tanker (all-year-round) by shuttle tankers (20 000 tons) from Arkhangelsk and Ob bay (oil delivered from Western Siberia deposits in river tanker (2 000 tons) by Ob river and reloaded on roadstead into shuttle tanker (20 000 tons) in Ob bay of the Kara Sea). MBSD is responsible for oil prevention and liquidation measures. In August 2004 the first 1 million tons of oil was sent for export from RRC3. It is planned to reload about 5 million tons of oil a year.

RRC4 near Mokhnatkina Pakhta is under construction. It is planned to put storage tanker (about 100 000 tons) on the pier and implement oil reloading by the scheme: oil cisterns -storage tanker - delivery tanker. The loading capacity of RRC4 should be 2 million tons of oil a year.

The Baltic oil transport direction is developed with high rate of growth during the recent years. In 2003 the capacity of the export corridor of the Baltic Pipeline System (hereafter "BPS") was increased to 30 million tons a year, in 2004 company "Transneft" plans to increase the capacity of BPS up to 50 million tons a year. However, the plans for building the pipeline that will connect Western Siberia and Murmansk are discussed. It is planned that the capacity of the new pipeline will be up to 100 million tons of oil a year, and the pipeline may be put into operation by the year 2010.

In view of the existing growth figures in oil production and transportation infrastructure development in The Barents Region in 2010 the oil flow by sea can reach a yearly level of 150 million tons, and we can expect 300 runs of tankers of 250,000 tons deadweight year and 700 runs of 100.000 tons tankers to the west and south. Accordingly there will be the same number of empty tanker return runs.

ARCTIC SHELF OIL AND GAS CONFERENCE 2004