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The product carrier SCF Neva, owned by Sovcomflot, was the first vessel to load fuel oil from the new oil product terminal at the Russian port of Ust-Luga, located in the Leningrad Region.

On 31 January 2011, the ice class 1A SCF Neva, with a cargo of 44,000 tonnes of fuel oil, departed from Ust-Luga heading for the port of Tallinn, Estonia.

Viktor Olersky, Deputy Russian Transport Minister, confirmed that OJSC Rosneftbunker, was responsible for shipping the cargo.

"The receipt at Ust-Luga of the first, albeit in testing mode, tanker symbolizes the launch of a new export route for Russian oil products. I'm confident that it will take on some of the cargo flow that today moves through Baltic ports, primarily though Estonian terminals," said Olersky.

Safe mooring of the tanker was made possible via use of the tugs Stavr, Dobrynya and Dunai - all three operated by Rosnefteflot, a joint venture between Sovcomflot and Rosneft. The tugs are said to have been specially designed and constructed to work in the ports of the Northwest Region of the Russian Federation.

Commenting on the loading operation, Andrey Babahanov, director of fleet operations for OAO Sovcomflot, said: "Successful loading of fuel oil aboard the tanker SCF Neva on 31 January is a trial operation. In close coordination with the cargo owners and the port operators, we needed to check the functioning of all services and systems of Russia's new oil products terminal. The data obtained during the handling of the tanker SCF Neva will be taken into account when the loading of large tankers is arranged in the port of Ust-Luga."

The official opening ceremony of the new oil products terminal is scheduled to take place during the first quarter of 2011.