Russian ports: things have started moving
Cargo turnover at Russian seaports in the 1st quarter of 2010 (Q1, 2010) gained 11% to 122.98 million tons. The volume of dry cargo amounted to 46.94 million tons (15.3%), liquid cargoes to 76 million tons (+8.5%). The ports of North-Western Basin showed a slight 2.9% rise in handled volumes. The southern ports posted a 3.8% growth, while the Far East ports reported a 51% surge. Three major factors contributed to the increased freight volumes, climatic conditions, railroad output and crude deliveries via the TransNeft facility.
Frozen North-West
The last year’s statistics showed a strong growth in volumes of coal and oil passing through the Russian seaports. However, the North-West ports posted a cutback in the same category of cargoes in Jan.-Mar., 2010. Throughput of the port of Murmansk, exporting largely coal (in March, the volume of coal exports via MCSP amounted to 1 million 211.100 tons, including 939.500 tons of coal) declined in Q1 by as much as 13%. Trade flows via the port Vysotsk reached 558.000 tons, a nearly 30% drop.
This severe winter contributed to the reduced coal volumes in the North West. The frozen coal caused significant delays during offloading operations. MCSP had to tackle the backlog, developing its own technology to handle frozen coal.
A rather weak trend in other goods volumes was also due to bad weather conditions, for example, in January 2010 cargo turnover at the port of Ust-Luga showed a slight drop. As Harbourmaster Oleg Glukhov told PortNews IAA, the decline was caused by ice conditions at the port that resulted in the restrictions on vessels entries.
A railroad component and expected reduction in the volumes of oil deliveries by TransNeft have influenced the first-quarter liquid cargoes numbers. Oil exports via the port of Primorsk fell by 4.4% from Q1, 2009 to 17.321.700 tons. The reduction was expected and planned by TransNeft as export oil is transported to the terminal through the Baltic Pipeline System, BPS, said Alexander Surikov Primorsk Harbormaster who added there were no delays in shipment of oil from the port. "We’ve had no problems this winter with icebreaking support to escort tankers to the port of Primorsk ", Mr. Surikov said.
Railroad jams contributed to weak results in oil products volumes via other terminals of the North-West Basin. For example, Vysotsk-Lukoil-II throughput decreased by 15%.
According to the Oktyabrskaya Railroad’s 03.30.09 report, there was a backlog of over 3500 cars waiting at the port railyards. In particular, 1551 rail cars were staying idle at the New Port railyard, laden with non-ferrous metals and containerized cargoes, at the Avtovo railyard - 955 cars (carrying oil cargo and full containers). However, the Petersburg oil terminal authorities had managed to minimize volumes losses.
In general, the ports of North-West reported a growth trend in the first quarter. Trade flows via the Big Port of St. Petersburg rose by 16.3% from Q1, 2009 to 11,2 million tons. According to the Port Authority, in the pre-crisis Q1, 2008 the Port’s throughput was at 13 mln 438.600 tons. Thus, traffic volumes in January-March 2010 dropped from pre-crisis level by 16.8%. The Port's container throughput for the period amounted to 394.206 TEUs, 39.7% more than in the same period in 2009 and 12.2% below Q1, 2008
The port of Kaliningrad posted a 25-percent growth thanks to volumes by Kaliningrad Fishing Port and the Sodruzhestvo Soya, as Kaliningrad CSP showed a slight cut.
The volume of oil through the port of Varandei in January-March 2010 increased by 12.6% from Q1, 2009, to 1.939.900 tons, the Port Authority said. In March, cargo turnover there amounted to 761.9 thousand tons.
Freight flows via the port of Ust-Luga (Leningrad region) in January-March 2010 shrank by 33% vs Q1, 2009 to 2.4 million tons, reported PortNews citing a source at the port. In March, the Port has seen almost 1 million tons, and 310 ships arrivals (over 150 ship calls in Q1,10). The Harbormaster press office said the dynamics of cargo turnover was lower than expected due to difficult ice conditions. The Port Authority said the ice class restrictions were due to be removed by 20 April.
The port of Arkhangelsk reported a 18% cutback in Q1,10, at 586.200 tons. The Authority said this March the port facilities handled 238.000 tons of cargoes, 17.5% down from the last year’s March. The first-quarter imports rose by 32.5% to 125.500 tons, exports - by 67.1% to 287.900 tons, while coastal trade dropped by 61.5%, to 172.800 tons. Crude oil volumes declined by 87.3% to 40.700 tons, petroleum products - almost a threefold rise to 96.100 tons. The timber exports gained 42% to 106,900 tons, volumes of pulp, cardboard and paper - declined by 67%, 12.100 tons. Transshipment of coal amounted to 71.200 tons.
Frozen North-West
The last year’s statistics showed a strong growth in volumes of coal and oil passing through the Russian seaports. However, the North-West ports posted a cutback in the same category of cargoes in Jan.-Mar., 2010. Throughput of the port of Murmansk, exporting largely coal (in March, the volume of coal exports via MCSP amounted to 1 million 211.100 tons, including 939.500 tons of coal) declined in Q1 by as much as 13%. Trade flows via the port Vysotsk reached 558.000 tons, a nearly 30% drop.
This severe winter contributed to the reduced coal volumes in the North West. The frozen coal caused significant delays during offloading operations. MCSP had to tackle the backlog, developing its own technology to handle frozen coal.
A rather weak trend in other goods volumes was also due to bad weather conditions, for example, in January 2010 cargo turnover at the port of Ust-Luga showed a slight drop. As Harbourmaster Oleg Glukhov told PortNews IAA, the decline was caused by ice conditions at the port that resulted in the restrictions on vessels entries.
A railroad component and expected reduction in the volumes of oil deliveries by TransNeft have influenced the first-quarter liquid cargoes numbers. Oil exports via the port of Primorsk fell by 4.4% from Q1, 2009 to 17.321.700 tons. The reduction was expected and planned by TransNeft as export oil is transported to the terminal through the Baltic Pipeline System, BPS, said Alexander Surikov Primorsk Harbormaster who added there were no delays in shipment of oil from the port. "We’ve had no problems this winter with icebreaking support to escort tankers to the port of Primorsk ", Mr. Surikov said.
Railroad jams contributed to weak results in oil products volumes via other terminals of the North-West Basin. For example, Vysotsk-Lukoil-II throughput decreased by 15%.
According to the Oktyabrskaya Railroad’s 03.30.09 report, there was a backlog of over 3500 cars waiting at the port railyards. In particular, 1551 rail cars were staying idle at the New Port railyard, laden with non-ferrous metals and containerized cargoes, at the Avtovo railyard - 955 cars (carrying oil cargo and full containers). However, the Petersburg oil terminal authorities had managed to minimize volumes losses.
In general, the ports of North-West reported a growth trend in the first quarter. Trade flows via the Big Port of St. Petersburg rose by 16.3% from Q1, 2009 to 11,2 million tons. According to the Port Authority, in the pre-crisis Q1, 2008 the Port’s throughput was at 13 mln 438.600 tons. Thus, traffic volumes in January-March 2010 dropped from pre-crisis level by 16.8%. The Port's container throughput for the period amounted to 394.206 TEUs, 39.7% more than in the same period in 2009 and 12.2% below Q1, 2008
The port of Kaliningrad posted a 25-percent growth thanks to volumes by Kaliningrad Fishing Port and the Sodruzhestvo Soya, as Kaliningrad CSP showed a slight cut.
The volume of oil through the port of Varandei in January-March 2010 increased by 12.6% from Q1, 2009, to 1.939.900 tons, the Port Authority said. In March, cargo turnover there amounted to 761.9 thousand tons.
Freight flows via the port of Ust-Luga (Leningrad region) in January-March 2010 shrank by 33% vs Q1, 2009 to 2.4 million tons, reported PortNews citing a source at the port. In March, the Port has seen almost 1 million tons, and 310 ships arrivals (over 150 ship calls in Q1,10). The Harbormaster press office said the dynamics of cargo turnover was lower than expected due to difficult ice conditions. The Port Authority said the ice class restrictions were due to be removed by 20 April.
The port of Arkhangelsk reported a 18% cutback in Q1,10, at 586.200 tons. The Authority said this March the port facilities handled 238.000 tons of cargoes, 17.5% down from the last year’s March. The first-quarter imports rose by 32.5% to 125.500 tons, exports - by 67.1% to 287.900 tons, while coastal trade dropped by 61.5%, to 172.800 tons. Crude oil volumes declined by 87.3% to 40.700 tons, petroleum products - almost a threefold rise to 96.100 tons. The timber exports gained 42% to 106,900 tons, volumes of pulp, cardboard and paper - declined by 67%, 12.100 tons. Transshipment of coal amounted to 71.200 tons.
Oil Expanse
Strong growth volumes posted by the Far East ports was thanks to the launched Eastern Siberia - Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline linked to the port Kozmino (of Vostochny Port). From late December 2009 to the end of March 2010 the Kozmino Terminal shipped 3.243 million tons of crude oil adding in the first quarter to Vostochny Port’s 85% volumes gain.
Port of Nakhodka increased its cargo turnover to 4.7%, Q1,10.
A significant gain in the volume of transshipped cargoes, at 60%, showed the Vladivostok Commercial Sea Port OJSC, mainly by exports, which rose in Q1 54%.Coke and steel products showed strong upward trend. In addition, VCSP’s container counts was up 52% in Q1,10. Imported autos and equipment rose by 40%.
Strong growth volumes posted by the Far East ports was thanks to the launched Eastern Siberia - Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline linked to the port Kozmino (of Vostochny Port). From late December 2009 to the end of March 2010 the Kozmino Terminal shipped 3.243 million tons of crude oil adding in the first quarter to Vostochny Port’s 85% volumes gain.
Port of Nakhodka increased its cargo turnover to 4.7%, Q1,10.
A significant gain in the volume of transshipped cargoes, at 60%, showed the Vladivostok Commercial Sea Port OJSC, mainly by exports, which rose in Q1 54%.Coke and steel products showed strong upward trend. In addition, VCSP’s container counts was up 52% in Q1,10. Imported autos and equipment rose by 40%.
Inconsistent South
The southern Russian ports ended Q1as a whole with good growth results, but showed different numbers. Novorossiysk’s first-quarter report gave lower figures, adding just 1.4%. First, due to declined oil deliveries to its terminal leading to a 2.7% drop. Second, NCSP’s throughput, the largest stevedore showed an increase lower than the average in the market. According to Finam experts, the Company’s first-quarter 7.3% cutback in bulk cargoes, and a 74.3% slump in iron ore volumes were among the negative factors that caused the overall volumes decrease in Q1, 2010.
The experts highlighted the growth in container trade, the most profitable business segment of NCSP. "This year’s growth in imports to Russia has caused positive trend in containers counts. There was also a 1.9-percent rise in the volumes of crude oil in March, as compared to the same period of 2009," FINAM analysts said.
Astrakhan Port posted a 5% decline, mainly due to reduced volumes handled at the port of Makhachkala, by almost 15%.
Port of Rostov reported a 54% surge in handled volumes, thanks, primarily, to vegetable oil and petroleum products.
Throughput of Tuapse Commercial Sea Port in the first quarter amounted to 5 million tons of cargoes, up 19% from the last year’s numbers. In Jan.-Mar., 2010 the TCSP handled 3.8 million tons of oil (+12% over the same period in 2009), the volume dry cargo grew by 34% and amounted to 1.2 million tons. According to the stevedore statement, it had a threefold rise in imports of bulk cargoes, particularly, sugar. Volumes of exported coal via the TCSP terminal rose by 13.8% leading to positive trend in overall exports growth. The Grain Terminal launched this early February of capacity of 253.000 tons, contributed to a 3-fold increase in exported grain year-on-year.
Vitaly Chernov
The southern Russian ports ended Q1as a whole with good growth results, but showed different numbers. Novorossiysk’s first-quarter report gave lower figures, adding just 1.4%. First, due to declined oil deliveries to its terminal leading to a 2.7% drop. Second, NCSP’s throughput, the largest stevedore showed an increase lower than the average in the market. According to Finam experts, the Company’s first-quarter 7.3% cutback in bulk cargoes, and a 74.3% slump in iron ore volumes were among the negative factors that caused the overall volumes decrease in Q1, 2010.
The experts highlighted the growth in container trade, the most profitable business segment of NCSP. "This year’s growth in imports to Russia has caused positive trend in containers counts. There was also a 1.9-percent rise in the volumes of crude oil in March, as compared to the same period of 2009," FINAM analysts said.
Astrakhan Port posted a 5% decline, mainly due to reduced volumes handled at the port of Makhachkala, by almost 15%.
Port of Rostov reported a 54% surge in handled volumes, thanks, primarily, to vegetable oil and petroleum products.
Throughput of Tuapse Commercial Sea Port in the first quarter amounted to 5 million tons of cargoes, up 19% from the last year’s numbers. In Jan.-Mar., 2010 the TCSP handled 3.8 million tons of oil (+12% over the same period in 2009), the volume dry cargo grew by 34% and amounted to 1.2 million tons. According to the stevedore statement, it had a threefold rise in imports of bulk cargoes, particularly, sugar. Volumes of exported coal via the TCSP terminal rose by 13.8% leading to positive trend in overall exports growth. The Grain Terminal launched this early February of capacity of 253.000 tons, contributed to a 3-fold increase in exported grain year-on-year.
Vitaly Chernov