OREANDA-NEWS. December 14, 2009. OJSC “Sovcomflot” and TNK-BP created a joint working group in order to explore possibility of building self-propelled tankers and tug & barge trains in Russian shipyards to create an integrated system for transportation of oil products on the Volga river, reported the press-centre of TNK-BP.

Working group agreed to study variety of options to create a “floating pipe” which would be competitive enough to optimize existing model of river transportation as well as further contribute to rise of safety standards on internal Russian waterways and at the same time promote domestic shipbuilding.