OREANDA-NEWS. Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port Group (NCSP Group or the Group) (LSE: NCSP, Moscow Exchange: NMTP) announces that its consolidated cargo turnover in January-April 2014 amounted to 46.1 million tonnes.

Commenting on the results of January-April 2014 PJSC NCSP CEO Yuri Matvienko, said:

"April continues the positive trends made evident at the end of the first quarter. Year-on-year growth rates in oil products and containers (in tonnes) have doubled for the four months compared to those of Q1. Year-on-year lag in iron ore and non-ferrous metals volumes reduced by half in the four months versus Q1. Volumes of ferrous metal and pig iron, and timber cargo showed positive growth rates for the first time since the beginning of the year".

"To a large degree, the situation with bulk and general cargo was possible to improve thanks to the extensive program of technical re-equipment of NCSP cargo yards, including acquisition of new cranes, and the management reorganization program and the implementation of a project management system, which was all started last year", - also said Matvienko.

Liquid Cargo

In January-April 2014 NCP Group loaded 36 755 thousand tonnes of liquid cargo, including 26 558 thousand tonnes of crude oil; 9 851 thousand tonnes of oil products; 216 thousand tonnes and 130 thousand tonnes of liquid fertilizers and seed oils respectively.

In April LLC Primorsk Trade Port loaded 392 thousand tonnes or 10% more of crude oil that in March this year, and reached it historical maximum of monthly oil products handling - 1 009 thousand tonnes, exceeding March volumes by 114 thousand tonnes or 14%.

In total, during the first four months of 2014 the Group loaded 963 thousand tonnes of oil products more that same period last year and year-on year growth rates sped up to 10.8% versus 5.1% at the end of Q1.

Bulk Cargo

Volumes of bulk cargo totaled 3 552 thousand tonnes in January-April 2014, including 2 105 thousand tonnes of grain, 551 thousand tonnes of iron ore, 471 thousand tonnes of sugar, 262 thousand tonnes of coal, and 154 thousand tonnes of fertilizers.

At the end of the four months the lag in iron ore volumes reduced to 20.0% year-on-year versus 43.8% year-on-year at the end of Q1. In April the Group loaded 228 thousand tonnes of ore which is four time more that in March. Such rapid growth was conditioned by expanding geography of exports of Group's key clients.

Handling of coal in April versus March also doubled and reached 101 thousand tonnes thanks to increasing demand from industrial consumers in Turkey.

General Cargo

General cargo handling increased by 2.9% year-on-year in January-March 2014 and totaled 3 948 thousand tonnes.

Volumes of ferrous metal and pig iron increased by 177 thousand tonnes or 5.7% year-on-year and totaled 3 303 thousand tonnes. Handling of timber cargo for the first time in 2014 recorded 9.6% growth year-on-year reaching 185 thousand tonnes.

Handling of non-ferrous metal in April versus March increased by 22 thousand tonnes or 28%. Total of 313 thousand tonnes of non-ferrous metals was loaded in January-April 2014, and the year-on-year lag was reduced to 14.7% versus 28.4% at the end of Q1.

Containers

NCSP Group's container traffic reached 233 thousand TEU in January-April 2014, up 8.5% year-on-year. In tonnes container handling increased by 11% year on year, which speaks of growing share of loaded containers. Year-on-year growth rates for the four months versus Q1 increased by 3.5 percent points in TEU and by 5 percent points, nearly double, in tonnes. Container traffic in April versus March increased by 6.3 thousand TEU and 62 thousand tonnes or by 11% and 13% respectively. Growth was recorded at all of the Group's terminals, led by LLC BSC with 28.3% increase year-on-year and 30% increase in April versus March (in TEU).