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World oil prices

New oil blend can appear in Russia — Transneft

The new oil blend will have 2.1-2.3% sulfur content

© ITAR-TASS/Yuri Smityuk

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Russia’s Urals blend average oil price down 9.5% in 2014 to $97.6 per barrel

MOSCOW, February 18. /TASS/. A new oil blend similar to Iraqi Kirkuk and Basrah blends can appear in Russia after implementation of a project on dedicated export of high-sulfur (sour) oil, Vice President of the Russian oil pipeline operator Sergey Andronov said on Wednesday.

Transneft is pursuing a project of separating sour oil export.

The project with provisional cost of 2.5 bln rubles ($40 mln) will make it possible to ship up to 23 mln tons of oil per year via the port of Ust-Luga, Andronov said. The new oil blend based on the feedstock produced in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Udmurtia and Orenburg Region in part will have 2.1-2.3% sulfur content.

The share of sour oil in total Transneft’s throughput can grow by 3-3.5 mln tons in 2015, according to company’s estimate.

Dedicated sour oil export will cover the feedstock supplied by Tatneft, Bashneft, Rosneft, Gazpromneft, and partly Lukoil, the vice president of Transneft said.

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