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Gulf Of Ob News

28 Oct 2020

DSME to Build Six Second-generation Arc7 LNG Carriers

File photo: The world's first icebreaking LNG carrier Christophe de Margerie entered service in 2017 (Photo: SCF Group)

South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) has signed shipbuilding contracts with Russia's Sovcomflot and Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines for the construction of six icebreaking Arc7 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers based on a newly developed design.The new ships will be the second generation of vessels engineered to transport LNG from the Russian Arctic, with special emphasis on year-round operation in the eastern sector of the Northern Sea Route.DSMEā€¦

04 Nov 2019

SCF, NOVATEK Ink Icebreaker T/C Contract

SCF Group and VEB.RF Group, a Russian financial institution, signed an agreement for lease financing of the lead ship in a series of icebreaking LNG carriers expected to be built to serve the Arctic LNG 2 project.At the same time, SCF Group and NOVATEK Group signed a long-term time charter agreement for this tanker.The vessel will be constructed at Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex in the Russian Far East. She is designed for year-round operations in the challenging ice conditions of the Kara Sea and The Gulf of Ob and will be able to sail independently through ice over two meters thick.All the LNG carriers in the new series will be operated under the Russian flag. The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) will provide technical supervision during the construction of the vessel series.

07 Oct 2019

Sovcomflot Names New Arctic Shuttle Tanker

Mikhail Lazarev (Photo: Sovcomflot)

On October 6, 2019, a naming and flag raising ceremony was held in Vladivostok for Sovcomflotā€™s latest Arctic shuttle tanker. The vessel was named after Mikhail Lazarev, a prominent Russian admiral and explorer known for his discovery of Antarctica. The tanker was ordered by Sovcomflot to transport crude oil for the Novy Port project, under a long-term agreement between Sovcomflot and Gazprom Neft.The ceremony was attended by Oleg Melnikov, Vice-Governor of Primorsky Region and Sergey Frankā€¦

06 Sep 2019

Green Light for Arctic LNG 2

The $21.3 billion Arctic liquefied natural gas (LNG)-2 project on the Gydan Peninsula headed by the Russian largest independent natural gas producer Novatek won a green light on Thursday.The project will have a production capacity of 19.8 million tons per year (Mt/y) and is expected to export its first LNG cargo by 2023, the second and third train to start up by 2024 and 2026.Total has a direct 10% interest in Arctic LNG 2 alongside Novatek (60%), CNOOC (10%), CNPC (10%) and a Mitsui-Jogmec consortium, Japan Arctic LNG (10%). Total also owns an 11.6% indirect participation in the project through its 19.4% stake in Novatek, thus an aggregatedā€¦

01 Apr 2019

Rosatomflot Delivers First Shipment for Arctic LNG 2

Russiaā€™s largest independent natural gas producer and LNG operator, Novatek received the first shipment of cargo for its Arctic LNG 2 project at the Utrenneye field.The nuclear container ship Sevmorput owned by Rosatomflot loaded the cargo and arrived at the site on March 26, said a statement from Rosatomflot.It took the Sevmorput five days of sailing to reach the Gulf of Ob, it said. The 260 meter long vessel on 21st March sailed out from Arkhangelsk fully loaded with construction goods for Novatekā€™s new natural gas project.ā€œThe transfer from Arkhangelsk went in a regular mode and took five days,ā€ said Andrey Smirnov, director of shipping for Atomflot FSUE.

06 Mar 2019

Nuclear Container Ship Sets Sail to Arctic LNG2

The nuclear-powered, 260 meter long, 33980 tons deadweight 'Sevmorput' this week sailed from Murmansk to Arkhangelsk where it is to pick up more than 17,000 tons of construction goods.The lighter aboard ship (LASH) system carrier of FSUE Atomflot, the worldā€™s only ship of its kind, will deliver thousands of tons of construction materials to the Arctic LNG 2 project in peninsula Gydan.At the port of Arkhangelsk, the ship will be loaded with pallets, containers and equipment. Upon completion of the loading works, nuclear-powered container carrier will proceed to the Utrenneye field on the Gydan peninsula in the Gulf of Ob.The Sevmorput crew will ensure cargo delivery and unloading onto the shore ice.

14 Dec 2018

Christophe de Margerie Loads First Cargo from Third Train Yamal LNG

The Arctic LNG carrier Christophe de Margerie, owned and operated by Sovcomflot, loaded the first batch of liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced at the third train of Yamal LNG plant, at the Port of Sabetta on the Yamal Peninsula.Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian Prime Minister, initiated the start of cargo operations via a video conference with the vesselā€™s Master Sergey Zybko.Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Yamal LNG on reaching full production capacity and noted:ā€œThis is a significant milestone for the entire Russian gas industry and, of course, for our international partners, and for international cooperation in the energy sector. For half a centuryā€¦

01 Aug 2018

LNG Carrier Completes Record Arctic Transit

Christophe de Margerie (Photo: Sovcomflot)

An icebreaking liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier has completed a record journey through the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in the Arctic.The Christophe de Margerie owned and operated by Sovcomflot (SCF Group) covered the distance of 2,360 nautical miles eastward through the NSR, from the port of Sabetta (Yamal Peninsula) to Cape Dezhnev (the Bering Strait), in seven days and 17 hours, a new record time for a merchant ship without icebreaker support during the month of July. Throughout the record-setting passageā€¦

24 May 2018

Total, Novatek Pact for Arctic LNG 2 Project

In the presence of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, Total has signed an agreement with Novatek outlining the terms upon which Total shall acquire a direct working interest of 10% in Arctic LNG 2, a giant liquefied natural gas project lead by Novatek on the Gydan Peninsula in the north of Siberia. Taking account of Totalā€™s approximate 19% stake in Novatek and Novatekā€™s intention to retain 60% of the project, the Group's overall economic interest in this new LNG project will be approximately 21.5%. Should Novatek decide to reduce its participation below 60%, Total will have the possibility to increase its direct share up to 15%.

10 Dec 2017

Christophe de Margerie Moves 1st Yamal LNG Cargo

On 8 December 2017, the icebreaking LNG carrier Christophe de Margerie completed her first loading at the Port of Sabetta, on the Yamal Peninsular, with her first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced at the Yamal LNG plant. The ceremony was attended by: the Russian President Vladimir Putin, together with Sergey Belousov, Aide to the President; Sergey Donskoy, Russiaā€™s Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection among others. Vladimir Putin said: ā€œThis is a remarkable day for us all. I congratulate all those who worked on this project, on this wonderful occasion, the first loading of a new tanker named after our friend Mr. de Margerie. Unfortunately, he is not with us today but we have a tanker named after him. He was one of the pioneers of this project.

10 Dec 2017

Christophe de Margerie Named Engineering Project of the Year

Christophe de Margerie, the icebreaking LNG carrier built to order for SCF Group (Sovcomflot) to serve the Yamal LNG project, has won the award for Engineering Project of the Year at the 2017 S&P Global Platts Global Energy Awards. The winners were announced at an award ceremony held in New York on 7 December 2017. At the award ceremony, SCF Group was represented by Executive Board members Nikolay Kolesnikov, Executive Vice President and CFO of Sovcomflot, and Sergey Popravko, Managing and Fleet Director of SCF Management Services, who was closely involved in establishing and expanding the gas fleet of SCF Group. Nikolay Kolesnikov commented: ā€œI stood here ten years ago when Sovcomflot received the Platts Energy Transporter of the Year Award.

17 Sep 2017

Russian Award for Sovcomflot

PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group) was awarded first prize at the 2017 International Competition of Scientific, Technical and Innovative Developments aimed at the Exploration and Development of the Arctic and the Continental Shelf, held under the auspices of the Russian Ministry of Energy. The prize was awarded to a team of Sovcomflot experts for the development and practical implementation of technological solutions enabling year-round oil shipments from the Gulf of Ob. The winning team was led by Igor Tonkovidov, Executive Vice-President and Chief Technical Officer of Sovcomflot. The awards ceremony took place in St. Petersburg on 12 Septemberā€¦

23 Aug 2017

LNG Carrier Sets Northern Sea Route Record

Christophe de Margerie (Photo: Sovcomflot)

On August 17, 2017, the Sovcomflot-owned icebreaking liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier Christophe de Margerie completed her first commercial voyage, transporting LNG through the Northern Sea Route (NSR) from Norway to South Korea. During this voyage, the vessel set a new time record for an NSR transit of 6 days 12 hours and 15 minutes. Moreover, Christophe de Margerie has also become the worldā€™s first merchant vessel to travel the full length of the NSR without any icebreaker escort.

30 Jan 2017

Sovcomflot tankers Move one mi tonnes oil from Novy Port O&G condensate field

Sovcomflotā€™s three unique Arctic shuttle tankers, of the Shturman Albanov series, have now transported one million tonnes of crude oil produced at the Novy Port oil and gas condensate field, from the Gulf of Ob (Kara Sea) to the port of Murmansk. The milestone millionth tonne cargo of oil was loaded on Shturman Albanov on 29 January 2017 at the Arctic Gate marine terminal located near Cape Kamenny (Gulf of Ob). In total, SCF tankers have completed 33 voyages with Novy Port grade oil since last autumn. The first large cargo of oil was loaded on the lead ship of the series, Shturman Albanov, on 12 September 2016. Sovcomflotā€™s three Arctic shuttle tankers ā€“ Shturman Albanovā€¦

28 Dec 2016

RS issues First Polar Ship Certificate

The first Polar Ship Certificate was issued by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS). The document was released by Murmansk Branch on 22 December, 2016 in the port of Murmansk to the tanker Shturman Albanov, owned by SCF Group. In connection with the Polar Code entering into force, the compliance with the requirements thereof is a precondition for ships operated in the Barents Sea, Cara Sea water area south of 60 S and in other seas included in the polar water. The Polar Ship Certificate confirms the ship's compliance with the Code requirements related the safe navigation - for instance, the of the ship's hull to withstand severe temperature and ice conditionsā€¦

17 Jun 2016

Russia Launches ā€˜Worldā€™s Largestā€™ Nuclear Icebreaker

The launching ceremony for nuclear icebreaker Arktika took place at the Baltijskiy Zavod in St Petersburg (Photo: Rosatom)

Russia has unveiled Arktika, touted as the worldā€™s largest and most powerful nuclear icebreaker, during a launching ceremony on June 16 at Baltic Shipyard in St Petersburg. The 173 meter long, 34 meter wide Arktika is the lead nuclear icebreaker ordered by Russia's Rosatom state nuclear agency for navigation through the Northern Sea Route, and more specifically the delivery of hydrocarbons to Asian markets. ā€œThere are no analogs of the icebreaker such as the Arktika in the world,ā€ said Rosatom CEO Sergey Kirienko at the launching ceremony.

22 Dec 2015

Sovcomflot Group, Sberbank CIB Sign Credit Facility Agreement

Sovcomflot Group and Sberbank CIB  have signed a 14-year $340 million credit facility agreement to finance the construction of three Arctic shuttle tankers for the Novy Port project  (project operator: Gazprom eft). Novy Port is one of the largest oil and gas condensate deposits on the Yamal peninsula in Russia. The vessels will serve as part of project infrastructure designed to enable year-round shipment of crude oil from an offshore loading terminal in the Gulf of Ob. The commercial production from the field will start in 2016. The transaction involves Sberbank Europe AG, a subsidiary bank of PJSC Sberbank. Commenting on the transactionā€¦

28 Oct 2015

Keel Laid for Lead Ship of Arctic Tanker Series

Photo: RS Class

A keel laying ceremony was held Monday at Koreaā€™s Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. for the first of six ships in the project 42Šš Arctic Shuttle Tanker series. The six tankers in the series will be named after the famous Russian explorers of the Arctic, including participants to the Great Northern Expedition of the 18th century. The ships are being built to the dual Russian Maritime Register of Shipping / Lloydā€™s Register class. Sovcomflot (SCF Group) is the owner of three tankers of the series.

13 May 2015

Baltika's DP and Autopilot Pass Ice Trials

Baltika icebreaking (Photo: Aker Arctic)

The dynamic positioning control system and autopilot onboard the icebreaking rescue and emergency vessel Baltika have been approved as meeting performance expectations, following a set of Arctic ice trials in the Kara Sea. Developed by Finnish company Aker Arctic Technology, Baltika is the first ship ever built with an asymmetric hull that allows her to break ice not only ahead and astern, but also at an oblique angle. In this way, the icebreaker can open a channel in ice whose width is disproportionate to the vesselā€™s relatively small size.

28 Apr 2015

Vyborg Shipyard to Build Icebreaker

Vyborg Shipyard signed a License and Concept Design Agreement with the Finnish engineering company Aker Arctic Technology for two icebreaking support vessels. Two multifunctional diesels-electric- powered icebreakers 22 MW will be built at Vyborg Shipyard by order of LLC Gazprom Neft Novy Port. In the nearest time Aker Arctic engineers will start development of concept design package and perform model tests in open water and in ice conditions. At a later stage on the basis of the concept design there will be developed technical design for the vessels. According to the procurement documents, the contract is valued at RUB 6,008,550,000. The order is to be fulfilled by November 30, 2018.

17 Apr 2015

Icebreakers Ordered for Neftā€™s Novy Port Project

Image: Aker Arctic

Aker Arctic and Vyborg Shipyard have confirmed a contract for the design of two new icebreakers based on Aker ARC 130 A design. The icebreakers will be used in the oil terminal operated by LLC Gazprom Neft Novy Port in the Gulf of Ob. The new icebreakers represent a further development of the Aker ARC 130 icebreaker concept originally developed for the Finnish Transport Agency. The new design, Aker ARC 130 A, will utilize similar propulsion concept consisting of three azimuth thrusters ā€“ two in the stern and one in the bow of the vessel.

27 Jan 2015

ā€˜Landmark Yearā€™ for RS in 2014

For Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS), 2014 marked the 101st year of its activities. The classification society said 2014 also marked a landmark year, as the construction of the world's first Arctic LNG carrier began to RS class. The new 300-meter-long ship carrying liquefied natural gas in membrane tanks will be able to operate in ice of about two meters thick. There are more than 150 vessels that are ordered or already under construction to the RS class with the total gross tonnage of about 2 million, RS noted, of which 11 are gas carriers, 21 icebreakers and specialized support vessels,  27 tankers, 30 tugs and seven fixed offshore ice-resistant platforms.

29 Dec 2014

RS to Class Newbuild Arctic Tankers

Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) has signed an agreement with South Korean yard Samsung Heavy Industries Co. LTD for design approval and survey under construction of a new series of 42,000 dwt Arctic shuttle oil carriers (project 42Šš Arctic Shuttle Tanker). The new tankers are designed to complete a set of tasks of hydrocarbons transportation from Novoportovskoye field, which is situated in the north of Yamal peninsula, 30 km off the Gulf of Ob coast. The propulsion unit with two Azipod azimuth thrusters and a special hull shape will enable the ships to operate year-round in harsh Arctic conditions. Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2015 and conclude by the end of 2017. The series, comprising six ships will be constructed to dual RS / LR class.