The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) plans to sell 85,000 tons of Urals oil from the port of Novorossiysk in March 2006, SOCAR told Trend. The tender will be announced next week. The tanker will be shipped from pier N2 at the Novorossiyk terminal.
In 2005, SOCAR shipped 1,631 million tons of oil from Novorossiysk against 2,559 million tons in 2004. In December 2005 the oil shipment from Novorossiysk was 86,500 tons against 167,200 tons a month before and 166,300 tons in December 2004.
In 2005 Glencore was the major trader of SOCAR oil from Novorossiysk - 557,000 tons and it was followed by the Russian LUKOIL with 464,000 tons.
The following companies bought oil batches from SOCAR since the start of 2006:
January Glencore (85,000 tons).
February Taurus Petroleum (140,000 tons).
February - Glencore Energy (60,000 tons).