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
