Russian oil companies have arranged a second mega-transfer bypassing the EU

Sovcomflot has arranged this year's second mega-shipment of Russian oil bypassing the EU, off the coast of which sanctions tankers are seized from time to time. Vessels mainly with raw materials from the Baltic ports went with an impressive cargo along the Northern Sea Route on the eve of the end of the navigation season. The total value of the cargo may exceed $ 500 million.

According to AIS vessels, five tankers with Russian oil have already passed or are on the Northern Sea Route in the second half of October. Vessels under sanctions can carry more than 4.5 million barrels of oil, whose market value is more than $ 500 million.

So, "Sovereign" and "Ligovsky project" have already passed the Northern Sea Route, Kamchatka and are approaching Sakhalin. But "Breeze" and "Ocean Avenue" are still going along the Northern Sea Route. Today they went out in The East Siberian Sea. The last tankers from the transfer are scheduled to arrive in China on November 5-6.

Most of the oil is transported from the Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga. And this transfer will be the second this year. As EADaily wrote, in August a flotilla of eight vessels passed along the Northern Sea Route, which could carry about 7 million barrels.

All vessels are under sanctions and under the control of Sovcomflot. At the same time, the Northern Sea Route has become not only the shortest route to Asia, but also a less risky route due to a series of seizures of sanctioned tankers off the coasts of EU countries.

Obviously, the second transfer of oil bypassing Europe will be the last this year, as the navigation season on the Northern Sea Route is coming to an end and it will become available only to vessels with an increased ice class.

The head of Gazprom Neft, Alexander Dyukov, told TASS that in 2026 the company will increase the volume of oil supplies via the Northern Sea Route by more than 35%.

"In 2026, our supply volumes via the NSR will exceed the level of last year by more than 35%," said the head of Gazprom Neft.

According to him, the company considers the Northern Sea Route as a strategic route for the delivery of oil to the Asia-Pacific region and will strive to increase its cargo base, taking into account the economic efficiency and availability of ice-class vessels.

By the way, oil from the Vostok Oil megaproject, carried out by Rosneft, also went along the Northern Sea Route for the first time. In September, the Russian president gave the order to ship the first tanker in the "North Bay", where so far only oil from the Vankor cluster is supplied via the new oil pipeline. According to AIS, Vostok Oil is being transported by the Vostochny Prospect tanker. Today he passed by Kamchatka after a voyage along the Northern Sea Route.