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Baltiysky Zavod JSC has handed over to St. Petersburg-based bunker supplier Baltic Fuel Company the final vessel in a series of four oil tankers.

Construction of the four vessels began in January 2011 under a contract signed in November 2010. The tankers were designed by Marine Engineering Bureau LLC and the construction programme was funded with the assistance of Bank Saint-Petersburg. The total cost of the investment was approximately RUB 400 million (USD 12 million).

The latest tanker, named Ksenia, is designed for the transportation of oil products with a flash point of 60º i7; and above, including those requiring heating.

Baltic Fuel Company said the vessel will be put into operation during the month of July. It will be engaged in the transportation of oil products on Russia's inland waterways.

Ksenia is equipped with a double bottom and double sides. The vessel's capacity is 5000 tonnes, it has a length of 108.32 metres, a breadth of 16.86 metres and a depth of 4.75 metres.

Baltic Fuel Company said it is also considering an option to resume its shipbuilding project the next year. According to General Director Stanislav Korneev, to strengthen the company's position on the inland waterways it required six or seven new tankers, each with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes.

The Russian supplier added that it has not yet chosen a shipbuilding yard to carry out the contruction of these additional vessels.