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Rosneft’s marketing subsidiary OJSC Samaranefteprodukt has launched its second marine fueling station in the Samara region. The new station is located at a tributary of the Volga river, and will service small-sized vessels, such as yachts and speedboats.

According to General Director of Samaranefteprodukt Anatoly Samosudov, the region has lacked a fully-fledged vessel fueling infrastructure and the demand for quality fueling services is now particularly acute.

The situation is said to have significantly improved with the commissioning of the first floating bunkering facility in the autumn of 2006. Samosudov noted that the project took a lot of time and effort to complete, but the successful implementation of the facility was decisive for future work and, consequently, for the launch of the second bunkering station.

Rosneft will make extensive use of Samaranefteprodukt’s engineering and marketing expertise in expanding its bunkering operations in the Moscow water area and on Baikal.

The floating bunkering station is a fully integrated facility which includes a fuel barge where all supply equipment is located. The facility also has a loading quay and an onshore unloading platform for tank trucks. Petroleum products are fed to the barge via a hoseline. The loading process is controlled by an integrated anti-spill system. The loading quay also has a convenience store with a total area of more than 50 square metres, where vessel spare parts, fishing equipment and groceries are sold.

According to Rosneft, the new facility meets all current environmental and fire hazard regulations. It features an automated fire extinguishing and water cooling system, plus an absorption system to handle both onboard and external spills. In addition, a special contingency plan to tackle fuel spills was designed for the station to ensure efficient emergency management.

During the navigation season, fuel will be sold primarily to owners of motor boats and yachts, whilst in winter most customers will be snowmobile owners. The bunkering stations will only be idle in March, when the risk of ice drift is particularly high.