OREANDA-NEWS. March 03, 2010. The first tanker carrying East Siberian oil left for Japan from the specialized oil-loading seaport Kozmino. This batch of oil was purchased by Mitsui & Co., Ltd from oil firm "TNK-BP Holding" (resources of OJSC "Verkhnechonskneftegas").

Russia exported East Siberian crude oil to Japan for the first time. On February, 26, "Atlas Explorer" tanker loaded with 100, 000 tons of crude oil left for Japan from Kozmino seaport. The 100,000 tons of oil, whose bid was won by trading house Mitsui & Co. from Russian oil firm "TNK-BP Holding", was purchased by Kyokuto Petroleum Industries Ltd., the Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture-based refiner jointly owned by ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) Y.K. and Mitsui Oil Co. The tanker is expected to dock at the Keiyo Sea Berth in Tokyo Bay in early March, "Kyodo Tsushin" News Agency reports.

The specialized oil-loading seaport Kozmino was launched in December, 2009. Since then, tankers from Kozmino transported ESPO oil to the USA, China and South Korea. In total, 19 tankers were handled in Kozmino during two months of its operation. Thus, they transported 1, 900,000 tons of oil.