Shipping Oil from the Russian Arctic: Past Experiences and Future Prospects

Transport of oil from Russian Arctic ports to Western markets was insignificant prior to 2002. In 2002, there was a major surge, with 5 million tonnes delivered westwards through the Barents Sea. By 2004, this had increased to 12 million tonnes. Since then, annual volumes have been on levels between 9 and 15 million tonnes. In the near future, the flow of oil cargo in the Arctic may rise significantly, as a result of the development of oil and...