Oil from Ice-bound regions

Russian energy exports are growing fast as that huge country builds up its oil and gas industries and seeks new customers for their products. Proven Russian oil reserves are the seventh largest in the world, while there is an even greater potential in the vast areas of Siberia and the Far East as yet unexplored.

But a quick look at an atlas will demonstrate that while there may be vast quantities of oil and gas available in Russia, getting it to overseas markets is a major challenge. Geography, topography and meteorology have not been kind to the Russian oil exporter, with only routes through Black Sea ports and the Turkish Straits being free of ice all year. In the Baltic, the Russian Arctic and the ports of the Russian Far East tankers have to contend with sub-zero temperatures and ice conditions which can be very severe.

In the Gulf of Finland, the oil port of Primorsk is being rapidly expanded and could become Russia's biggest oil export port in the next few years.

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