Odessa difficulties to linger into September.(oil loading problems, 2003 period; Russia, Ukraine)

Crude loading difficulties are expected to continue plaguing Odessa into next month, as Russian pipeline operator Transneft maintains pressure on Kiev to reverse its 180,000 b/d Odessa-Brody pipeline to handle Russian crude exports. Traders fear that the process of drafting the September loading schedule for the port might be even more complicated than for August, which was left unsigned by Transneft.

"Drafting of schedules for other seaports is proceeding well," says one crude exporter. "Exporters know their positions for the first half of the month in Novorossiysk, Tuapse and Primorsk. But nothing is clear with Odessa, and I fear the situation might worsen in …