Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Sakhalin Island News

13 Mar 2024

Second Russian Tanker, Hit by Sanctions, Docks in China

© Nightman1965 / Adobe Stock

Russian tanker Krymsk, hit by sanctions, docked on Wednesday at the Chinese port of Dongying in eastern Shandong province, home of independent refiners, to discharge 700,000 barrels of Russian Sokol crude, LSEG and Kpler shipping data showed.This is the second Russian oil tanker, hit by sanctions, to dock at Chinese ports this month. Last week, tanker Liteyny Prospect discharged its 700,000-barrel Sokol crude cargo at the Chinese port of Huanghua near Cangzhou city in Hebei province.The Dongying port authority declined comment when contacted by Reuters.

07 Mar 2024

Tanker Liteyny Prospect, Hit by Sanctions, Docks in China to Offload Russian Oil

© Vallehr / Adobe Stock

The Russian tanker Liteyny Prospect, hit by sanctions, has docked at the Chinese port of Huanghua to discharge its 700,000-barrel Russian Sokol crude cargo, two sources familiar with the matter said, clearing part of a backlog of cargoes disrupted by sanctions on Moscow's oil trade.The tanker is one of six ships carrying Sokol crude, which India has not been able to import due to payment issues. The six ships had been sailing to China but five of them are floating at sea early this week, shipping data showed, following fresh U.S.

14 Apr 2023

Russia Conducts Surprise Inspection of Its Pacific Naval Fleet

© Tania / Adobe Stock

Russia will conduct missile launches and torpedo tests as part of a surprise inspection of its Pacific naval fleet, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday.The drills come amid heightened tension in the Asia-Pacific region, as the United States and South Korea conduct joint air exercises following an intercontinental ballistic missile test by North Korea."The main objective of this inspection is to increase the ability of the Armed Forces to repel the aggression of a probable enemy from the direction of ocean and sea…

01 Mar 2023

China-flagged Cargo Ship Sinks Off Russia's Sakhalin Island

© RedTC / Adobe Stock

A China-flagged cargo ship sank in the Strait of Tartary off the coast of Russia's Sakhalin island, the press service of Russia's Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport told TASS on Wednesday, adding there were no casualties."The crew of 21 citizens of the People's Republic of China got onto the ice and was then taken on board of an approaching ship," TASS cited the press service."Everyone is well, there were no casualties."(Reuters - Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Tom Hogue)

29 Dec 2022

How Will Japan Resolve Shipping Insurance for Russian LNG imports?

Credit: Evgeny
/AdobeStock

Japan, the world's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) importer, is facing its latest challenge in securing vital gas supplies from Russia after Western reinsurers said they would halt marine war insurance for ships travelling in Russian waters from Jan. 1.Having joined other G7 countries in imposing sweeping sanctions on Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine, Japan has been reducing its reliance on Russian oil and coal, but it continues to buy Russian LNG amid elevated prices in a tight…

27 Dec 2022

Japan Insurers in Talks with Reinsurers to Resume Coverage in Russian Waters

Credit:  Evgeny/AdobeStock

Three Japanese insurance companies that are set to halt marine coverage of risks related to the war in Ukraine starting next month are in talks with reinsurers to resume those operations, they said on Monday. Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, Sompo Japan Insurance and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance on Friday told shipowners that they would stop offering marine war insurance, which covers damage to ships from war in Russian waters, from Jan. 1, spokespeople at the companies said. Their comments confirmed local media reports on Saturday.

15 Nov 2021

SCF gets $110m Credit Facility to Finance Ice-Class Shuttle Tankers

PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group) signed a $110 million credit facility, for 10 years, with ING BANK N.V., SMBC BANK EU AG and UNICREDIT BANK AG, to finance two new ice-class shuttle tankers.The ships, scheduled to be delivered in Q1 2022, will serve the Sakhalin-1 project (oil and gas development in the Sea of Okhotsk, on the north-eastern shelf of Sakhalin Island, Russia. Exxon Neftegas Ltd. (an affiliate of Exxon Mobil) is the project’s operator and acts as the charterer for the vessels.

13 Nov 2020

Steerprop Azimuth Propulsion for Icebreaking W2W Vessel

Image Credit: Royal Niestern Sander

Finland-based propulsion specialist Steerprop has recently won a contract to deliver azimuth units as the main propulsion and steering system for a shallow-draught ice-breaking vessel being built for offshore oil operations in the Russian Far East.The 75.9 meters long, 14 meters wide vessel is being built by the Dutch shipyard Royal Niestern Sander for the Russian companies Mercury Sakhalin and Pola.The walk-to-work vessel will operate all year round in harsh ice conditions, transferring service technicians and equipment to and from offshore platforms off the Sakhalin Island.

24 Sep 2020

Schottel Thrusters for Russia-bound Ice-Breaking W2W Vessel

Credit;: Schottel

Dutch shipbuilder Royal Niestern Sander has ordered Schottel thrusters for what has been described as the world's first shallow-draught ice-breaking walk-to-work vessel, targeted for operation at the Russian Far East.Under the order from a joint venture between the Russian companies Mercury Sakhalin and Pola, Royal Niestern Sander is constructing the 75.9-meter-long, 14-meter-wide vessel that will serve the offshore oil and gas installations near the Sakhalin Island, Russia.After ordering an ice-strengthened gangway for the vessel form Ampelmann in June…

11 Aug 2020

Nevsky Shipyard Launches New Ferry Pavel Leonov

(Photo: Nevsky Shipyard)

Russia's Nevsky Shipyard has launched the second and final cargo-passenger vessel as part of the PV22 project.The newbuild Pavel Leonov, launched on August 6, is the second vessel in the series of two dry cargo-passenger vessel carriers ordered by Sakhalinlizingflot in August 2018. The series' lead vessel, Admiral Nevelskoy, was launched in May.The 75-meter-long vessels are each designed to transport 146 passengers, general cargo, containers (including refrigerated) and cars between…

10 Feb 2020

Sovcomflot Names LNGC SCF La Perouse

Russian state-controlled shipowner Sovcomflot (SCF) has named the 174,000m³ SCF La Perouse - the first of three LNG tankers on order with South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).The LNG carrier named after Jean-François de la Pérouse, a French explorer of the Pacific.The vessel will operate under a long-term time charter agreement with Total. The event was held at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries’ shipyard, Republic of Korea. Fleur-Eve Durin le Foll, the spouse of Total’s Country Chair Russia, is the vessel’s sponsor.Sergey Frank, Chairman of the Board of Directors of PAO Sovcomflot, said: “Sovcomflot and Total have enjoyed a strong partnership for many years, and we are happy to have an opportunity to expand this cooperation.

06 Jan 2020

Gazprom Neft Completes Okhotsk Survey

Russian oil and gas exploration company Gazprom Neft has completed ecological monitoring of grey whale populations at the Ayashsky license block, offshore from Sakhalin Island, with expedition members registering more than 550 animals in the course of a five-month survey.According to a press release, the ecological monitoring of grey whales in the Sea of Okhotsk forms part of a joint programme being implemented by oil and gas companies operating in Sakhalin. Gazprom Neft joined the programme in 2017, on starting development of its Ayashsky license block.Researchers conducted 58 sorties on the Siem Sapphire support vessel between June and October…

13 Sep 2019

Sovcomflot, NYK Pact on Financing 2 LNG Carriers

Russian maritime shipping company specializing in petroleum and LNG shipping Sovcomflot (SCF Group) and NYK Line have announced that they have signed a new $176 million non-recourse credit facility for eight years with three leading international banks.The banks are: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. of Japan (through its German subsidiary, SMBC Bank EU AG); Société Générale of France; and Shinsei Bank of Japan. The agreement was reportedly signed through joint venture companies belonging to SCF Group and NYK Line.The facility will be used towards refinancing two ice-class LNG carriers servicing the Sakhalin-2 project, Grand Aniva and her sister ship Grand Elena, which are jointly owned and operated by SCF Group and NYK Line.

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…

18 Mar 2019

SCF Registers Growth in Offshore Revenues

The energy shipping company PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group) has managed to increase its revenue base and achieved a profit of USD 11.9 million against a USD 106.2 million loss in 2017.The annual results reflected a strong contribution from the industrial shipping business (comprising offshore services and LNG transportation). These activities now account for 57.2 per cent of the Group’s TCE revenues (up from a 50.9 per cent share in 2017).Taking into account the challenging conditions in the conventional tanker markets, and in accordance with IFRS accounting standards, SCF Group undertook an impairment review of vessel values for the year ended 31 December 2018.

23 Jan 2019

Gazprom, Mitsui Discuss LNG Cooperation

Japanese trading house and liquefied natural gas market participant Mitsui has held talks with Russia’s giant Gazprom on cooperation in liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects.A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Masami Iijima, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mitsui & Co., Ltd., took place in Moscow.They discussed about the progress made in two Russian plans to expand LNG output, on the existing Sakhalin Island plant in the Far East and at a planned facility west of Saint Petersburg."The parties discussed current issues related to bilateral collaboration, including the Sakhalin II project…

21 Nov 2017

Gazprom, Shell Discuss LNG Projects

A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Maarten Wetselaar, Member of the Executive Committee of Royal Dutch Shell, took place in St. Petersburg. The meeting addressed relevant aspects of strategic cooperation. Particular attention was paid to joint efforts in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector. The parties discussed the construction project for the third train of the LNG plant on Sakhalin Island and the progress of the Joint Study Framework Agreement for the Baltic LNG project. The meeting also focused on the Nord Stream 2 project. Gazprom and Shell are jointly engaged in the Sakhalin II project, which includes Russia's only active LNG plant. The Sakhalin II operator is Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd.

14 Aug 2017

Russia Sends LNG Through Northern Sea Route

Russia was now pitching itself as an important transporter of European gas to Asia, reports  Sputnik quoting Danila Bochkarev, a senior fellow at the EastWest Institute in Brussels. The Russian supertanker Christophe de Margerie is en route to South Korea, sailing the Northern Sea Route with a load of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Norway. The shipment is a major step for Russia’s Sovcomflot to enter the global gas transportation market said the report. The Northern Sea Route cuts the travel time from Europe to Asia by a hefty 40 percent and the Christophe de Margerie will cover this distance in just 15 days. Sovcomflot has 128 tankers and 13 LNG transport ships.

31 Jan 2017

SCF's New Icebreaker Named Gennadiy Nevelskoy

Photo: Eric Haun

Built by Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, the Russian flagged Gennadiy Nevelskoy (deadweight 3,000 metric tons) will home port in Saint Petersburg and was commissioned by SCF under a long-term agreement with Sakhalin Energy. She is the first of four vessels for operations at the Sakhalin-2 project; the other three are ice-breaking standby vessels (IBSBVs) that have a smaller deadweight (2,000 metric tons), but offer enhanced functionality and a higher people-on-board capacity. The agreement between Sovcomflot and Sakhalin Energy…

25 Jul 2016

GAC Russia Expands Eastwards

GAC Russia said it is expanding eastwards with the opening of new branches at Nakhodka and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to meet demand for shipping services as opportunities open up in Far East. According to GAC Russia, this means it is the only ship agent with a presence throughout the interconnected Arctic region and Far East: at Murmansk, Kandalaksha, Sabetta, and now Nakhodka and the capital of the Sakhalin region, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Arkady Podkopaev, GAC Russia’s General Manager, said, “GAC has been active in Russia since 2001 and has built a strong network of offices in the European part of the country. As the Russian Federation focuses on developing political and economic relations with the Asia-Pacific region, the country’s Far East has moved to the top of the agenda.

01 Jul 2016

Icebreaker Launched for Sovcomflot

On June 30, 2016 a new icebreaking supply vessel (IBSV) was launched for Sovcomflot as part of a long-term agreement with Sakhalin Energy. Due to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2016, this reinforced ice class vessel has deadweight of 3,000 metric tons and an Azipod propulsion system with a power rating of 13 MW. The icebreaker is the first of four vessels that Sovcomflot has on order from United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) for operations at the Sakhalin-2 project. The vessels are being constructed by USC-affiliated shipyards Vyborg Shipyard and Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Oy. The construction of all four vessels began in 2015.

02 Jun 2016

Naust Marine Supplies Winch Control for Sakhalin Trawlers

JSC Pilenga’s Ostrov Sakhalin, a BATM-class supertrawler (Photo: Naust Marine)

Naust Marine has secured a contract to supply Autotrawl (Autotow) Winch Control to four Sakhalin trawlers—a first for BATM-class trawlers of the Russian Far East. JSC Pilenga, a trawler-vessel operator based on Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East, has awarded Naust Marine a contract to install Naust’s ATW (Automated Trawl Winch) autotrawl systems aboard three BATM-class supertrawlers—and on a single Moonzund-class trawler, the F/V Vasilii Kalenov. Naust’s DC-based package is tailored for work with existing electric systems on board.

03 Mar 2016

Rosneft Reports Large Oil Spill on Sakhalin Island

Russian oil producer Rosneft said on Thursday that around 15 tonnes (110 barrels) of oil spilled off from an idled pipeline on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, while local ecologists say the scale of disaster is far larger. Rosneft said the spill occurred on Wednesday at the Ekhabi oilfield in northern Sakhalin. The company decided to burn the spilled oil to "minimise ecological damage". Dmitry Lisitsin, an activist at a local ecological watchdog in Sakhalin, estimated the size of the spill at about 300 tonnes. "They started to burn the spilled oil, people see massive plumes of black smoke," he said by phone from Sakhalin. "This is a large spill, and the problem is of a systemic nature," said Vladimir Chuprov from Greenpeace.