Gazprom has shipped its first consignment of LNG to China through Russia’s Arctic waters, duplicating the delivery route used by Russian natural gas producer Novatek.
As explained, it was the first time its own-produced LNG was delivered via the Northern Sea Route, adding that the use of this route ‘significantly’ reduces the time required for LNG shipments to be delivered to the Asia-Pacific region.
The LNG plant began operating in September of last year, and regular shipments have been made on established routes.
As informed, in the Northern Sea Route’s frigid eastern stretch, wintertime transits require a heavy icebreaker escort to clear the way. In summer, the ice recedes, allowing a limited amount of merchant traffic to pass.
A standard Capesize bulker recently transited the NSR for the very first time, followed by the first transit for a non-ice-class Aframax tanker.