SOCAR to operate exports of Rosneft oil products to Ukraine

The Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR has become an export operator of Rosneft's oil products to Ukraine, the corresponding contract has already been signed with the Russian side, the Ukrainian newspaper Enkorr reported citing market participants.

"The Swiss office of Socar Trading will be in charge of sales and communication with Ukrainian counterparties. Meanwhile, the role of the Ukrainian office of the company in the distribution and sale of volumes is not excluded," the article says.

According to the newspaper, representatives of Socar Trading's top management visited Kiev this week, where they held talks with the counterparties of Proton Energy Group SA, which used to be Rosneft’s exclusive supplier of diesel and LPG to Ukraine, but decided to suspend shipments to the country from April 1. 

The new operator said that fuel to Ukraine could be supplied this month, although June is more likely, adding that it has a quota of over 100 thousand tons of diesel fuel and 12 thousand tons of liquefied gas.