As of now, seven Ice-Class shuttle tankers of Sovcomflot Group provide maritime transportation of oil and gas from the Russia’s offshore oil and gas deposits and the ones located above the Arctic Circle. Aframax tankers of the Victor Kopecky series are currently servicing the Sakhalin-1 Project; the Russian-flagged Panamax arctic tankers of the Basil Dinkov series are carrying cargo for the Varandei Project; LNG tankers of Grand Aniva type are participating in the Sakhalin-2 Project.
"The expansion of PSVs fleet for drilling rigs is an important element of the investment program of Sovcomflot”, says Alexander Kurtynin, the Sovcomflot’s deputy CEO. The company’s development strategy approved by the Sovcomflot’s Board of Directors for 2010-2015 years, provides for "the establishment on the shipping company’s base a national contractor for integrated services of offshore oil and gas production to be focused on operations in difficult ice conditions," Mr. Kurynin added.
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.