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Gazpromneft Marine Bunker, operator of Gazprom Neft's bunkering business, says that it recorded a rise in marine fuel sales of 22 percent throughout the Black Sea ports of Novorossiysk, Tuapse, Sochi, Taman, Kavkaz and Temryuk in 2015, with total sales of 795,000 tonnes. Direct sales of bunker fuel to ships in the Black Sea also increased by 22 percent to 682,000 tonnes.

According to the Russian firm, "2015 results indicate that Gazpromneft Marine Bunker is now the market-leading marine fuels supplier in the Black Sea region, with a market share of 20.3 percent."

A new bunkering vessel, the 5,372-deadwight-tonne (dwt) Gazpromneft Omsk, was acquired last year for deployment in Novorossiysk. It is the third in Gazpromneft Marine Bunker's Black Sea fleet.

Work has also begun on the modernization of the company's transshipment facilities in order to expand the zone for loading and unloading, double the tank farm's receiving capacity, and improve energy efficiency and safety.

Gazpromneft Marine Bunker CEO, Andrei Vasiliev, commented: "Marine transportation in the Black Sea region is seeing rapid development, creating demand for bunkering services. The further development of our assets in the Black Sea will allow us to realise the full potential of this market, while strengthening the company's position within it."