Tankers with Yamal LNG gas completing Northern Passage, heading for China
MOSCOW. July 6 (Interfax) - Two Arc7 ice-class LNG tankers Vladimir Rusanov and Eduard Toll are completing the Northern Sea Route passage via the Eastern direction, Novatek said.
The Vladimir Rusanov passed the Northern Sea Route and arrived at the Bering Strait, while the Eduard Toll entered open water in the Chukchi Sea. Both tankers were dispatched from the port of Sabetta loaded with cargo of LNG produced at the company's Yamal LNG project and are now heading towards the Chinese port of Jiangsu Rudong.
"The ice-covered part of the route was passed in only nine days with no ice-breaking support, thus confirming the outstanding ice-breaking capabilities of the Arc7 ice-class vessels," the Russian gas company said.
Novatek chairman Leonid Mikhelson was cited as saying in the statement that: "We are happy that the Arc7 ice-class tankers with LNG produced by our Yamal LNG project opened this year's summer navigational period on the Northern Sea Route. These shipments were the first voyages with Russian LNG via the Northern Sea Route without the escort of an icebreaker. Moreover, they mark the start of regular LNG shipments via the Northern Sea Route, which was only made possible due to the unique characteristics of ice-class LNG carriers developed for Novatek to serve Arctic projects".