The Russian river navigation season is expected to come to an end in the country's southern regions in early December, after an unusually mild spell of weather prolonged transportation there, sources said Tuesday.
"It is coming to a close at the beginning of December, pending actual weather conditions," said one source.
River navigation was officially extended until December 8, although traders suggested that river traffic would be likely to finish for the year sooner.
Navigation through Russia's waterways has been gradually coming to a close since mid-October, initially along rivers that run through Siberia, according to trading sources and the transport ministry's website.
It has also come to a close along the upper part of the river Volga.
"It has ended in Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Yaroslavl," said another source.
Southern Russian refineries, including Saratov, Volgograd and Novoshakhtinski, however, are reported to be still sending products by river.
Russia's rivers are typically used for the transportation of light products for the domestic market and heavy products such as fuel oil and vacuum gasoil for export.
The gradual decrease of fuel oil export shipments by river has started impacting domestic fuel prices on the downside, sources said.
"The winter is coming and less is heading to exports," said a source.
