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Varandey News

02 Oct 2019

Gazprom Neft Ships 11 mln T of Arctic oil via NSR

© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

Russia's Gazprom Neft is currently shipping around 11 million tonnes of oil per year (220,000 barrels per day) using the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and plans to increase this number, Chief Executive Alexander Dyukov told Rossiya-24 TV channel.He said that in total, Gazprom Neft is producing 18 million tonnes of oil per year in the Russia's Arctic area.

01 Aug 2019

ABB Enhances Safety of Sovcomflot’s Arctic Fleet

Arctic shuttle tanker Mikhail Ulyanov equipped with ABB’s RDS system, by the Prirazlomnaya offshore platform (Photo: ABB)

ABB has won a contract to supply ABB Ability Remote Diagnostic Systems for Marine to eleven Sovcomflot vessels operating in the Arctic and Russia’s Far East, helping optimize safety and performance through 24/7 remote support.Sovcomflot’s vessels will be among over 1,000 ships connected to ABB Ability Collaborative Operation Centers worldwide. From here, ABB experts monitor operational shipboard systems, coordinate remote equipment diagnostics and offer predictive maintenance services – 24/7. This can be especially crucial for vessels operating in remote areas.

29 Jul 2019

Sovcomflot Orders 3 LNG MR Product Tankers

Russian maritime shipping company PAO Sovcomflot approved transactions with Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex (Primorsky Region) and a subsidiary of JSC VEB Leasing to place orders for the construction of three new-generation MR product carriers using LNG as their main fuel.The vessels will be chartered to a subsidiary of PJSC NOVATEK under twenty year time-charter agreements, said a press release from the state-owned firm specializing in LNG shipping.Sergey Frank, President and CEO of Sovcomflot, said: "We are grateful to PAO Sovcomflot’s shareholder and our partners PJSC NOVATEK and VEB.RF for supporting SCF’s environmental initiative that…

18 Mar 2019

Sovcomflot Updates Fleet Strength

Russian maritime shipping company specializing in petroleum and LNG shipping Sovcomflot (SCF Group) said that Yevgeny Primakov (Icebreaker Ice-15) joined the fleet, the final vessel in a series of four new generation IBSV’s, engaged under a long-term time-charter agreement with Sakhalin Energy.The shipping company added that this makes a total fleet of 10 supply and standby vessels servicing Nogliki Base Camp (SEIC and ENL) at Sakhalin island (Sea of Okhotsk).The world’s first Aframax tanker to use LNG as her primary fuel Gagarin Prospect (114,000 DWT) entered service (July) on long-term time charter to Shell. In last October, Gagarin Prospect completed her first commercial voyage using LNG fuel…

17 Nov 2017

Sovcomflot Reports Loss for 9M 2017

(Photo: PAO Sovcomflot)

PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group) reported a $6.8 million loss for the first nine months of 2017, citing the adverse impacts of low spot market freight rates in the conventional tanker sectors. “This year has proven to be a very challenging period for the tanker industry and the situation now faced by many conventional tanker ship owners is especially severe,” said Sergey Frank, President and CEO of PAO Sovcomflot. “An oversupply of tonnage and reduced demand, resulting from oil capacity cut-backs led by OPEC…

26 Aug 2016

Sovcomflot Profits slip

Reviewing the company’s financial and operating results for the first half year ended 30 June 2016, on 23 August 2016, the Executive Board of PAO Sovcomflot (“SCF Group”) noted that despite a tanker market downturn, the company was able to demonstrate strong performance and strengthen its financial position while continuing to enhance its industrial projects portfolio in accordance with its Development Strategy. * Five new vessels launched: pioneering 172,600 m3 capacity ice breaking LNG carrier (Arc7 ice class) for Yamal LNG project (January), three new Arctic shuttle tankers for Novy Port project (February, April, June), and a new ice-breaking supply vessel to serve Sakhalin 2 project (June).

17 Jun 2014

ABB Wins LNG Carrier Electric Power & Propulsion Contract

ABB inform that its technology will power ice-going LNG carriers carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Siberia to Europe and Asia, having  secured a contract to supply electrical power and propulsion systems for the first of 16 Yamal LNG carriers. The contract, which includes options to equip 15 further vessels, is part of a project to transport LNG from the Yamal peninsula in Northwest Siberia to Asia and Europe. The order was booked in the first quarter. A consortium of partners, headed by Russian gas producer Novatek, have joined the Yamal project to open up gas from the Yamal peninsula, which is located inside the Arctic Circle and locked in ice for most of the year.

07 Feb 2014

Russian Arctic Oil Drillers Sign Oil Spill Safety Accord

Arctic oil spill clean-up training: Photo credit Gazprom

Gazprom inform that Vitaly Markelov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Ravil Maganov, First Executive Vice President of LUKOIL have signed a Cooperation Agreement on oil spill prevention and response to offshore emergencies. The agreement document sets out an exchange of information regarding the manpower and resources available to tackle any emergency, as well as joint consultations, exercises and training. In particular, Gazprom and LUKOIL intend to conduct…

26 Dec 2012

Arctic Navigation Training Center Opened in Russia

At Simulator Controls: Photo credit Sovcomflot

OAO Sovcomflot opens its Saint-Petersburg captain & senior officer training & engineering centre (TEC) for Arctic offshore operations. The opening of the modern training centre in Russia’s maritime capital marks an important milestone in the implementation of the SCF development strategy which provides for an expansion of company participation in oil & gas projects in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. Sovcomflot vessels provide year-round support for large offshore energy projects, such as: Sakhalin-I, Sakhalin-II, Varandey, Tangguh, Escobar, and Peregrino.

09 Oct 2012

An Energy SuperPower

Russia is an energy superpower and the country has vast and rich natural resources. Besides gas and coal reserves (some of the largest in the world), Russia today is ranked as the world’s biggest oil producing nation accounting for well over 12% of the global output. Moreover, the country exports more than 70% of its oil to the world markets. That said, Russia’s output of oil amounts to a third of what collectively the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) produces. The country has relied on oil production for decades, however there has been a notable geographical shift.

04 Nov 2008

Asia’s First Two Arctic Icebreakers

Keppel Singmarine Pte Ltd (Keppel Singmarine) has completed Asia’s first two icebreakers, built for one of the harshest marine frontiers on Earth, the Arctic sea for client, LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft (LUKOIL). Mr Charles Foo, Chairman of Keppel Singmarine, said “This is the first time that icebreakers meant for the Arctic region have been built in the tropics. The second vessel was named Varandey by Mrs Lyudmila Velikova, wife of Mr Victor Velikov, Deputy General-Director of LUKOIL at a Russian-themed ceremony at Marina at Keppel Bay today.

29 Aug 2008

Lukoil, Conocophillips’ YK Field Production Begins

OAO LUKOIL President Vagit Alekperov and ConocoPhillips Chairman and CEO Jim Mulva today participated in a special ceremony on the occasion of the startup of the Yuzhno Khylchuyu (YK) field located in the Nenets Autonomous District.

One of the biggest fields in the north of the Timan Pechora oil and gas province, this field is developed by OOO Naryanmarneftegaz, a LUKOIL and ConocoPhillips joint venture (70% and 30%, respectively). The field was discovered in 1981. Oil quality there surpasses the Russian Urals export blend quality: its density is 35.5 API (Urals, 32.0 API), and sulfur content is 0.71% (Urals, 1.3%). The first stage comprises 32 development wells, an oil treatment unit, an oil desulfurization unit…

29 Nov 2006

Aker Kvaerner to Deliver Loading Systems

Aker Kvaerner has recently been awarded several contracts for delivery of advanced loading and offloading systems. One of these contracts comprise the delivery of an advanced offshore offloading system to Lukoil's Varandey platform located at the Peninsula Coast of the Barents Sea. The work is undertaken by the Aker Kvaerner subsidiary Aker Kvaerner Pusnes in Arendal. The offfloading system is designed for extreme low temperature conditions and is the second contract of its kind to Aker Kvaerner Pusnes. Aker Kvaerner Pusnes is the dominant supplier of offshore loading systems in the area and has previously signed contracts and delivered a number of Arctic bow loading systems for shuttle tankers.

21 Nov 2006

Sovcomfloat Signs Loan Agreement

Sovcomflot Group and German bank HSH Nordbank AG have signed a Loan Agreement of $434m. HSH Nordbank is mandated lead arranger and is providing senior debt for the transaction. The signing ceremony attended by Sergey Frank, President and CEO of Sovcomflot and Hans Berger, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors of HSH Nordbank, took place in Hamburg. The purpose of the Loan Facility with final maturity date in 2021 is to provide the financing of six vessels, i.e. three unique Arctic tankers to be deployed for long-term operation in Barents Sea, as well as three product-carriers. ING Bank N.V. has been working as structuring bank and financial advisor for Sovcomflot under above Loan Facility. Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale is participating in the transaction as co-lender.

29 Nov 1999

Trailblazing Through Ice: Russia Optimistic About 'Short Cut' Sea Route

Russia expressed optimism about plans for a short-cut Arctic sea route between Europe and the Pacific Ocean despite skepticism from the Russian military and some foreign shipowners. "Of course there are problems...but we look at the future of the Northern Sea Route with optimism," Russian Transport Minister Sergei Frank said. The seaway is almost 40 percent, or up or 4,000 miles (6,400 km), shorter than conventional routes via the Suez or Panama canals between Europe and Japan. The end of the Cold War has revived mariners' dreams of creating a commercial passage through the ice. Frank said Russia is studying the building of a new generation of nuclear ice-breakers…