Novy Port News

U.S. penalties on shippers transporting Russian oil in breach of the G7's price cap could push more Russian cargoes onto vessels referred to as the ghost fleet and away from mainstream tankers, shipping sources and analysts told Reuters.The cap bans Western companies from providing maritime services for Russian seaborne oil exports sold above $60 a barrel.It was designed to keep oil flowing to markets while reducing Russia's energy earnings that it can use to finance its war on Ukraine…

The U.S. on Thursday imposed the first sanctions on owners of tankers carrying Russian oil above the G7 price cap of $60 a barrel, one based in Turkey and one in the United Arab Emirates, in an effort to close loopholes on the mechanism designed to punish Moscow for the war in Ukraine.The U.S., other G7 countries and Australia imposed the cap last year, seeking to reduce Russia's revenues from seaborne oil exports as part of sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine.The cap bans Western companies from providing maritime services, including insurance, finance and shipping, for Russian seaborne oil exports sold above $60 a barrel, while seeking to keep oil flowing to markets. Caps also were imposed on Russian fuel exports.U.S.

Russia's Gazprom Neft has sold its first ever Arctic oil cargo to China to ChemChina, two sources familiar with the deal told Reuters on Thursday.This week, Gazprom Neft said it had sent 144,000 tonnes of light Novy Port oil grade to the Chinese port of Yantai on the Bohai Sea from Russia's north-western city of Murmansk, using the Northern Sea Route (NSR) through Russia's Arctic waters.The Delta Hellas vessel used part of the NSR, a route requiring icebreakers and ice-class tankers, Refinitiv Eikon data showed, sailing west from Murmansk to reach Suez and then China.Gazprom Neft said this week the delivery took 47 days, without providing the buyer's name.Gazprom Neft and ChemChina did not reply to Reuters requests for a comment.The company regularly supplies ESPO Blend crude oil to China

PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group), a Russian maritime shipping company specializing in petroleum and LNG shipping, announced that it has taken delivery of four newbuildings during last year.Three ‘Green Funnel’ LNG-fuelled Aframax crude oil tankers (Korolev Prospect, Vernadsky Prospect, Samuel Prospect) and Mikhail Lazarev, an Arctic MR shuttle tanker transporting crude oil for the Novy Port project, are now under a long-term contract with Gazprom Neft.All vessels are designed to the highest industry standards of safety and sustainability, it said.Korolev Prospect, a ‘Green Funnel’ crude oil tanker, became the first vessel to cross the entire length of the Northern Sea Route using only cleaner-burning LNG as a fuel.According to the company…

Russia's state-owned tanker carrier Sovcomflot (SCF Group) reported improvements on both the top and bottom line in the third quarter benefiting from a stronger tanker market.The energy shipping company posted a net profit of  $26m as revenue increased in the third quarter.Sergey Frank, Chairman of the Board of Directors of PAO Sovcomflot, said: “We are satisfied with the Group’s performance over the third quarter. Sovcomflot steadily follows through on its strategy of increasing the share of large-scale industrial shipping projects in its portfolio."He added: "During the reporting period, Sovcomflot achieved a major strategic milestone when we agreed with NOVATEK to establish a new joint venture, SMART LNG.

On October 6, 2019, a naming and flag raising ceremony was held in Vladivostok for Sovcomflot’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 Frank…

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.

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…

PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group)'s large-capacity  LNG-fueled Aframax tanker Lomonosov Prospect has successfully completed its first commercial voyage along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) to deliver a cargo of petroleum products from the Republic of Korea to Northern Europe.The high-latitude voyage from Cape Dezhnev at Chukotka to Cape Zhelaniya of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago took the Arc4 vessel 7.8 days to complete, during which the tanker covered a distance of 2194 nautical miles.During the voyage, the crew successfully tested the operation of the ship engines and controls of the fuel systems using LNG, as well as the operation of navigation…

PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group) continued to increase the share of its fleet serving long-term energy projects over the first quarter ending 31 March 2018. This helped offset the negative impact of the protracted decline in freight rates that continues within the conventional tanker freight markets. Nikolay Kolesnikov, Executive Vice President and CFO of PAO Sovcomflot, commented on the quarter's results: "In the first quarter of 2018, conditions within the global conventional tanker market remained extremely challenging. The significant imbalance between tonnage supply and demand in the crude oil and petroleum products shipping segments heaped more downward pressure on freight rates, which had reached records lows in some sectors having fallen by almost 50 per cent year-on-year.

The largest bank in Russia Sberbank and shipping company Sovcomflot have signed a new USD 106 million project financing agreement, with a term of up to 14 years. The funds will finance the construction of a high ice class Arctic shuttle tanker (Arc7) for the Novy Port project, under a long-term agreement with Gazprom Neft. This is the third major transaction of its kind between Sberbank and Sovcomflot. The first joint project between the companies was in 2015, to finance the construction of three Arctic shuttle tankers to transport crude oil from the Novy Port field. That agreement set an important precedent for Russian domestic credit institutions, and was named “Deal of the Year” by the international publication Marine Money.

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 September…

Sovcomflot is one of the world’s leaders in energy shipping as well as in servicing offshore upstream oil and gas projects. It has reported lower time charter equivalent revenue (TCE) of USD 1,142.2 million (2015: USD 1,240.1 million), EBITDA of USD 706.5 million (2015: USD 780.1 million) and net profit of USD 206.8 million (2015: USD 354.5 million). Sergey Frank, President and CEO of Sovcomflot said: “Sovcomflot has delivered a solid set of results for 2016, despite market volatility in a year that has severely tested our industry. Sovcomflot strengthened its position as the World’s largest harsh environment tanker operator through the opportune acquisition of nine well-maintained tankers that became available as part of the PRISCO bankruptcy proceedings, he said.

Sovcomflot’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. Sovcomflot’s three Arctic shuttle tankers – Shturman Albanov…

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).

SCF Group (PAO Sovcomflot) reported steep jump in their net profit to USD 354.5 million from USD 83.9 million in the earlier year. Its gross revenue increased by 7.6 per cent to USD 1,483 million (2014: USD 1,378 million) and its time charter equivalent revenue rose by 18.8 per cent to USD 1,240.1 million (2014: USD 1,044.0 million). The company said that its total future contracted revenues amounted to USD 8.5 billion. During the year LNG carriers SCF Melampus and SCF Mitre (each 170,200 m3 capacity) were delivered and commenced long-term time charters to Royal Dutch Shell. USD 756 million of new debt capital was raised, including two…

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 transaction…

Two new Aker Arctic designed icebreakers, under construction at the PJSC Vyborg Shipyard in Russia, will have their main power provided by Wärtsilä generating sets. The ships are being built for Gazprom Neft based in St.Petersburg, Russia. The contract was agreed between Wärtsilä and Ruselprom Group and was signed in October. The new icebreakers will operate in arctic conditions with outside air temperatures as low as minus 50°C and ice thicknesses up to 2 metres. Because of these challenging operational considerations, the reliability and overall efficiency of the Wärtsilä machinery were prime considerations in the award of this contract. The ability of the Wärtsilä engines to operate efficiently with such low air suction temperatures provides the basis for an arctic package solution.

The ceremonial launch of construction of the lead icebreaking support vessel for Gazprom Neft Novy Port was held today at Vyborg Shipyard, a corporate member of the United Shipbuilding Corporation. Guests were greeted by Kirill Voroshilov, First Deputy General Director of the Vyborg Shipyard, who noted, “The newbuild laid down at the shipyard is a multipurpose vessel and is capable of coping with a great number of tasks while operating in heavy ice conditions. This icebreaking vessel is unique and to date it has been unrivalled on a global scale. The icebreaking support vessel will be built in accordance with a design targetting maximum icebreaking capability and considerable maneuverability with comparatively shallow draught.

The tendering process for the Yamal Novy Port terminal icebreaker design and build contract has kicked off, seeing seven companies submit bids for the project, IAA PortNews reported. The tender, announced by Vyborg Shipyard entrusted to build the vessels, received bids for the icebreaker’s design and construction from Spetssudoproekt CJSC, Nordic Yards Holding GmbH, Aker Arctic, FSUE Krylov State Research Center, Design Bureau for Shipbuilding “Vympel” OJSC, Marine Engineering Bureau – Design-SPb CJSC, and KhS Morskoye Proektirovanie LLC.

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.

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 – two in the stern and one in the bow of the vessel.

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.