Russian state-controlled oil firm Rosneft has requested pre-payment in roubles in a tender offering Urals and Siberian Light crude cargoes for loading in May-June.
The firm is seeking buyers for 5.1mn t of Urals loading from Primorsk, Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk between 1 May and 30 June, as well as 320,000t of Siberian Light loading from Novorossiysk over the same period, according to a tender document seen by Argus.
The tender requires payment in roubles and requests the full amount be paid at least five business days before the first day of loading. The tender will close at 14:00 Moscow time (11:00 GMT) on 21 April, with bids to remain valid until 26 April.
Rosneft closed a term tender for Urals supplies with similar loading dates back in March, but the results were not clear. Some market participants suggested the company made no award and would seek to place the supplies into existing long-term contracts with trading firms Trafigura and Vitol.
Rosneft had offered up to 11.28mn t (444,000 b/d) of Urals loading from Baltic and Black Sea ports in April-September through a tender launched in January — 1.2mn-6mn t in 100,000t cargoes from either Primorsk or Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea, as well as 0.48mn-1.92mn t loading in 80,000t cargoes and 0.84mn-3.36mn t in 140,000t shipments from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
