OREANDA-NEWS. December 4, 2012. Gazprom Neft Marine Bunker, the operator of Gazprom Neft’s bunkering business, has purchased the first bunker tanker for the operations in Primorye sea ports. The vessel was given the name of Gazprom Neft Zuid East.

The new Gazprom Neft Zuid East bunker tanker

Gazprom Neft Zuid East, a 6,800dwt bunker tanker, was built in 2012; it has unrestricted navigation and meets all the international maritime navigation conventions.

“With the acquisition of a new vessel, the Company will be able to significantly strengthen its position in the fast evolving bunker market in the Far East, where Gazprom Neft Marine Bunker scaled up refueling up to 272,300 tons for the first nine months of 2012, which is over 80% higher versus the same period last year. In the future, the Company intends to increase the bunker fuel sales and expand the geography of operations in Russia and abroad,” said Andrey Vasilyev, CEO of Gazprom Neft Marine Bunker.

Gazprom Neft Marine Bunker is a subsidiary of Gazprom Neft that supplies bunker fuel for marine and river vessels. The company was founded in October 2007. Gazprom Neft Marine Bunker is a leading operator in the Russian bunker market with the market share of 18.5%. Around 85% of the Company’s clients are foreign ship owners.

Today, Gazprom Neft Marine Bunker comprises nine regional offices and two subsidiaries: Gazprom Neft Shipping, which operates the Company’s own fleet, and Gazprom Neft Terminal SPB, which operates a bunker terminal in St. Petersburg.

Gazprom Neft Marine Bunker has a strong position in the Russian bunker market, with the widest geographical reach among the Russian bunker companies and a continuous presence in 15 sea ports and 9 river ports.