The 114.546DWT SCF Baltica tanker owned by Sovcomflot Group left Murmansk port on Saturday, August 14th. The gas condensate-laden Aframax tanker heading for China will be the first vessel of such tonnage on the North Sea Route ever, the Sovcomflot press release said.
The Ice-Class (1A Super (Arc5) tanker is to deliver cargo, owned by Novatek LLC, to a China port. The ship will cross 7,000 n.m. (some 3ths n.m. on the NSR) in the Arctic voyage (versus 12,000 n.m. via Suez Canal).
The SCF Baltica tanker will be escorted by the nuclear-powered ‘Russia’ and ‘50 Years of Victory’ icebreakers (of FSUE AtomFlot), the most powerful ones in the world .
The tanker is expected to call at the port of destination in China in the first half of September.
Besides, the ship will be collecting statistical data during the trip, to facilitate the future projected voyages and to further new deep routes in the Arctic.
The Northern Sea Route is the shortest sea route between the European part of Russia and the Far East, a historical national transport corridor in the Arctic.
Novatek OJSC is the largest independent and the second largest producer of natural gas in Russia. The Company, founded in 1994, is engaged in the prospecting, production and processing of natural gas and liquid hydrocarbons and had 6.86 billion oil equivalent barrels of proved reserves at the end of 2009. The Company’s fields and license areas are located in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, the world's largest natural gas producing area, which accounts for over 90% of Russia’s natural gas production and roughly about 20% of world’s gas production.
Sovcomflot Group, founded in 1995, is one of the largest Russian shipping companies. Sovcomflot’s fleet comprises of 146 ships of total deadweight of over 10 million tons. The company shipbuilding program includes 10 ships of total 800,000 DWT. The average Sovcomflot’s tanker age is some 7 years (world’s average - 12 years). The Group ranks first in the world in the segment of commodities carriers, the second - in Aframax vessels fleet. The company has the world’s largest Ice Class vessels fleet. It is also the top global operator of Arctic shuttle tankers and LNG carriers with Ice Class.
The SCF Baltica tanker will be escorted by the nuclear-powered ‘Russia’ and ‘50 Years of Victory’ icebreakers (of FSUE AtomFlot), the most powerful ones in the world .
The tanker is expected to call at the port of destination in China in the first half of September.
Besides, the ship will be collecting statistical data during the trip, to facilitate the future projected voyages and to further new deep routes in the Arctic.
The Northern Sea Route is the shortest sea route between the European part of Russia and the Far East, a historical national transport corridor in the Arctic.
Novatek OJSC is the largest independent and the second largest producer of natural gas in Russia. The Company, founded in 1994, is engaged in the prospecting, production and processing of natural gas and liquid hydrocarbons and had 6.86 billion oil equivalent barrels of proved reserves at the end of 2009. The Company’s fields and license areas are located in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, the world's largest natural gas producing area, which accounts for over 90% of Russia’s natural gas production and roughly about 20% of world’s gas production.
Sovcomflot Group, founded in 1995, is one of the largest Russian shipping companies. Sovcomflot’s fleet comprises of 146 ships of total deadweight of over 10 million tons. The company shipbuilding program includes 10 ships of total 800,000 DWT. The average Sovcomflot’s tanker age is some 7 years (world’s average - 12 years). The Group ranks first in the world in the segment of commodities carriers, the second - in Aframax vessels fleet. The company has the world’s largest Ice Class vessels fleet. It is also the top global operator of Arctic shuttle tankers and LNG carriers with Ice Class.