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-October 2014 amounted to 112 million tonnes.

Liquid cargo turnover comprised 87.6 mln tonnes; bulk cargo totaled 9.8 mln tonnes; general cargo amounted to 9.8 mln tonnes as well, and container turnover reached 4.6 mln tonnes or 544 thousand TEU.

PJSC NCSP CEO Sultan Batov commented on Group's operating results for ten months of 2014:

"Grain and coal volumes in October suffered from over ten days of stormy weather in Novorossiysk. Yet seasonal factors don't have a material effect on the year-on-year dynamics of cargo traffic, which since January till October 2014 are characterized by sustainable growth in core cargoes, and even accelerating growth rates in oil products, coal and ferrous metals volumes".

Liquid Cargo

Liquid cargo volumes in the reporting period totaled 87,559 thousand tonnes, including 63,262 thousand tonnes of crude oil; 23,479 thousand tonnes of oil products; 565 thousand tonnes and 253 thousand tonnes of UAN and seed oils respectively.

In January-October 2014 oil products volumes exceeded these of the same period last year by 3,095 thousand tonnes, while growth rate accelerated by 2.4 percent points versus that of 9 months 2014 and reached 15.2% year-on-year.

Bulk Cargo

In ten months 2014 NCSO Group handled 9,789 thousand tonnes of bulk cargo, including 5,831 thousand tonnes of grain; 1,489 thousand tonnes of iron ore materials; 931 thousand tonnes of coal; 915 thousand tonnes of raw sugar, and 588 thousand tonnes of mineral fertilizers.

Gain volumes in October versus September 2014 reduced by 168 thousand tonnes due to extended periods of stormy weather and uneven supply of certain kinds of grain, which lead to postponements in the loading schedule.

Coal handling was also affected by the weather and reduced by 26 thousand tonnes in October versus September. Coal volumes for ten months of 2014 increased by 234 thousand tonnes or 33.6% year-on-year, and growth rate sped up by 3.2 percent points from that of the three quarters of 2014.

General Cargo

In January-October 2014 NCSP Group loaded 9,784 thousand tonnes of general cargo which is 12.1% or 1,059 thousand tonnes more than same period last year.

Of these ferrous metals and pig iron comprised 7,930 thousand tonnes; non-ferrous metals totaled 847 thousand tonnes; timber cargo accounted for 536 thousand tonnes; and perishable and other cargo comprised 238 thousand tonnes and 233 thousand tonnes respectively.

Volumes of ferrous metals and pig iron grew by 866 thousand tonnes or 12.3% year-on-year, as growth rate was up 2.3 percent points from nine months. The lag in non-ferrous metals shrunk by 2 percent points year-on-year versus that of the nine months.

Containers

NCSP Group container traffic for ten months of 2014 comprised 4,566 thousand tonnes and 544 thousand TEU, growing 14% year-on-year in tonnes, which is twice as fast as growth in TEU.