NOVATEK LNG tanker transit Northern Sea Route
Published by Lydia Woellwarth,
Editor
LNG Industry,
PAO NOVATEK (NOVATEK) has announced that the Arc7 ice-class LNG tanker Christophe de Margerie of Sovcomflot successfully transited the Eastbound ice-covered part of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and reached the Bering Strait in only 12 days. The voyage across the NSR to the Bering Strait was 2563 nautical miles long.
The voyage took place before the traditional start of the summer navigation season in average ice conditions, with the maximum ice thickness on the route reaching 1.3 m. Eastbound transportation of LNG along the NSR is not normally performed in May as this represents one of the most difficult months for navigation.
The Christophe de Margerie left the port of Sabetta on 18 May 2020, passed the Ob Bay and a part of the Kara Sea without ice-breaker assistance and then met with Atomflot’s nuclear icebreaker Yamal (part of State Corporation ROSATOM), which escorted the tanker with ice navigation on the ?astern part of the NSR. The tanker will deliver an LNG cargo produced at Yamal LNG to China.
“This unique tanker voyage is the result of NOVATEK’s detailed logistics solutions, exceptional ice performance of our Arctic LNG tanker fleet and the co-ordinated work of the entire team. We are grateful to the crews of the Christophe de Margerie LNG tanker and the Yamal nuclear icebreaker, who both demonstrated high professionalism in harsh Arctic conditions, representing the best traditions of the Russian school of navigation,” noted Leonid Mikhelson, NOVATEK’s Chairman of the Management Board. “We are actively working to expand the eastbound navigation season for the NSR and looking forward to further development of State support for this trade route by increasing icebreaking capabilities as well as full-scale navigation and hydrographic assistance for shipping. This support allows us to significantly contribute to the annual cargo turnover along the Northern Sea Route by implementing our large-scale LNG projects to produce up to 70 million t by 2030”
Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/01062020/novatek-lng-tanker-transit-northern-sea-route/
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