Shipments fall in first half of 2011

摘要

Westbound pipeline shipments of Russian and Kazakh crude fell during the first half of this year, as pipeline deliveries to China rose. Lower shipments to Baltic and Black Sea ports and a drop in Russian rail deliveries pushed FSU crude exports to 6.6mn b/d in the first six months of this year, 160,000 b/d down on the same period last year (see table). Russia has been redirecting crude to Russian ports as part of its strategy to cut transit through Ukraine and the Polish port of Gdansk. Crude is instead being shipped to China along the East Siberia- Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline.