Tag: Northern Sea Route

For the first time such a large Suezmax tanker is navigating along this route On 20 August 2011 the tanker Vladimir Tikhonov, owned by SCF Group (Sovcomflot), started her Arctic voyage from Murmansk along the seaways of the Northern Sea Route (NSR).The voyage marks the first time in the history of the NSR that such a large Suezmax tanker (more than 160,000 dwt, enhanced ice class 1A (Arc 4)) is navigating along this route.The tanker is laden with more than 120,000 tonnes of gas condensate, belonging to the Charterer Novatek. The cargo of hydrocarbons will be delivered from the port of Murmansk to a port of discharge in one of the countries of South-East Asia. The estimated length of the voyage is less than a month. The preparation for the voyage was undertaken in coordination with Novatek.SCF Group continues the series of Arctic voyages from the Atlantic to the Pacific along the Northern Sea Route. In August 2010 the Aframax tanker SCF Baltica, of more than 100,000 tonnesdwt, followed the same route and became the largest ship in history to navigate along the NSR.The present voyage is aimed at studying the potential for transporting the largest possible consignment of gas ...

An increasing amount of seaborne traffic is beginning to move on the Northern Sea Route Cold is the new hot in shipping circles as melting sea ice opens up prospects for trade between China and the west to move across the roof of the world.An increasing amount of seaborne traffic is beginning to move on the so-called Northern Sea Route which traverses the Siberian coast. There are also hopes of opening up more of the North West Passage above Canada.The attraction of the voyage is that it is one-third of the distance of more traditional routes through the Suez Canal. This means less carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions and less fuel. It also means less pirates.Attacks on ships off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden have become so severe that some owners are already using longer sea routes around South Africa to avoid conflict.Christian Bonfils, the managing director of Nordic Barents operator Nordic Bulk Carriers, claims it will save him $180,000 in fuel costs. New Arctic voyages are starting all the time. Russian oil company, Novatek is currently carrying a trial shipment of 60,000 tonnes of oil products to China via northern Siberia on the vessel, Perseverance.Norilsk Nickel, the world's largest ...

Several ice-classed tankers are waiting in Kola Bay for the sailing season to begin Last week, the Transpetrol-controlled Panamax Perseverance sailed from Murmansk for China laden with 70,000 tonnes of condensate. She was escorted by the Russian nuclear powered icebreaker Yamal.The sailing season along the Northern Sea Route has started earlier than ever, as the Arctic Sea ice heads for another major melting, reported the newspaper Barents Observer.The tanker was chartered by the Russian oil company Novatek, according to Petroarctic, a network of suppliers for petroleum projects in the north.Perseverance is an ice-class 1A tanker and is expected to be in China around 20th July, which is almost half the time the vessel would have spent from Murmansk to China if sailing via the Suez Canal.Several other ice-classed tankers are waiting in Kola Bay for the sailing season to begin. For example, Novatek plans to ship 110.000 tonnes of condensate along the north coast of Siberia on the Sovcomflot Suezmax Vladimir Tikhonov later this summer.In total, Russias nuclear powered icebreaker fleet will reportedly escort some 15 larger bulkers and tankers along the Northern Sea Route this year, according to the local newspaper.Source: Tanker Operator