▁started ▁transport ing ▁oil ▁directly ▁to ▁Finn ish ▁ports . ▁ ▁When ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁Vol got ank er ' s ▁Ne fter ud ov oz - 3 ▁arrived ▁to ▁K andal ak sha , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁tank er ▁ever ▁to ▁bring ▁a ▁cargo ▁of ▁oil ▁directly ▁from ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁bas in ▁over ▁the ▁White ▁Sea - B alt ic ▁Canal ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁White ▁Sea . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁sh ipping ▁volumes ▁reached ▁ 3 5 ▁million ▁tons ▁per ▁year . ▁ ▁Post - S ov iet ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁the ▁operations ▁entered ▁a ▁decl ine ▁along ▁with ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁economy . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁the ▁company ▁was ▁priv at ized ▁as ▁a ▁J oint - Sto ck ▁Company ▁( a ▁corpor ation ). ▁With ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁domestic ▁operations , ▁transport ation ▁of ▁oil ▁for ▁export ▁became ▁the ▁main ▁line ▁of ▁business ▁for ▁the ▁company , ▁reaching ▁ 7 0 % ▁of ▁its ▁operations ▁by ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 1 st ▁century ▁that ▁the ▁volume ▁of ▁operations ▁started ▁to ▁rise ▁again . ▁ ▁Besides ▁its ▁traditional ▁Balt ic ▁and ▁Black ▁Sea ▁export ▁directions , ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁Vol got ank er ▁res umed ▁using ▁the ▁White ▁Sea - B alt ic ▁Canal . ▁The ▁plan ▁was ▁to ▁transport ▁