White Sea–Baltic Canal had plans to carry 800,000 tonnes of fuel oil over the canal during 2003, and to increase the volume to in 2004. The fuel was transferred from Volgotanker river tankers to Latvian seagoing tankers at a floating transfer station near the Osinki Island in the Onega Bay of the White Sea, north-east of the port of Onega. Transfer operations began on 24 June 2003. But on 1 September 2003 a low-speed collision between Volgotanker's "Nefterudovoz-57M" and the Latvian "Zoja-I" during a transfer caused a crack in the "Nefterudovoz's" hull, with a subsequent oil spillage. Various estimates of the extent of
Port of Kerch Port of Kerch Kerch Marine Trade Seaport (, ) is one of the oldest ports of Black Sea (and Sea of Azov) located in the city of Kerch on the eastern shores of Kerch peninsula at Kerch Bay. The port has 10 piers. Port of Kerch is located in close proximity to the Black Sea waterways of oil transportation, international transport corridors and the Bosphorus (the exit to the Mediterranean Sea). The port is located on the shores of the Kerch -freezing bay . On the coast of the Kerch Strait coldest months - January, February. The prevailing wind -