On June 25 2014 a convoy towing the superstructure of a central technological platform was leaded out of Astrakhan Seaport and started moving along the Volga-Caspian Seaway Canal. The platform is designed for preparation and transport of oil and associated gas at the shelf deposit under the name of Vladimir Filanovskiy, which is being fitted by JSC LUKOIL in the Russian sector of the Caspian Sea.

In order to ensure safe escort of such a large vessel, and maintain navigation safety in the Volga-Caspian Seaway Canal, four first-category pilots of the Astrakhan Branch pilotage service of took part in the operation.

Besides, in order to provide safe navigation of the towage convoy along the canal, with the length of more than 300 metres, the height of 45 metres and the draught of 4.2 metres, the Astrakhan Branch in 2013 and before the start of the convoy in 2014 performed dredging works along the convoy route in the amount of 3 million tons of extracted soil.

Despite the fact, that the Astrakhan Branch has a large experience in provision of safe navigation of such large vessels along the Volga-Caspian Seaway Canal low water levels in the Volga-Caspian Seaway Canal and in the Caspian Sea make the towage of the superstructure an especially hard and challenging operation. That is why the Astrakhan Branch officers, who have conducted measuring works all the way through the convoy route, supervise and manage the towage process.

In case of favourable weather conditions, the oil platform superstructure is to arrive at the place of its installation on the supporting blocks set in the bottom of the Caspian Sea by early June.