Vladimir Putin presents Captain Zybko with Distinguished Maritime Service Order
On 27 November 2018 in the Kremlin, the President of the Russian Federation - Vladimir Putin presented high-level state awards to outstanding Russian citizens – people from industry, agriculture, science, education, healthcare, culture and sport, Sovcomflot says in a press release.
Sergey Zybko, Captain of Christophe de Margerie, Sovcomflot’s Arctic LNG carrier, was awarded the Distinguished Maritime Service Order for his major contribution to the construction project and entry into operational service of Christophe de Margerie, the world's first ice-breaking LNG tanker.
Christophe de Margerie is the first vessel in a series of 15 large-capacity gas carriers designed for the year-round transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG), in the challenging ice conditions of the Kara Sea and the Gulf of Ob, for the Yamal LNG Project. The vessel’s unique engineering and design solutions, powerful propulsion system - comparable to those of nuclear icebreakers, and high ice class (Arc7), allow Christophe de Margerie to transport LNG safely in the extreme climatic conditions encountered in high-latitudes. The introduction of the Christophe de Margerie series of LNG carriers marked a new era in the history of Arctic navigation, and the development of the Arctic region’s natural resources.
At the Kremlin award ceremony Captain Zybko said:
"My crew and I are honoured to have participated in the historic events that marked a new stage in the development of Russia’s Arctic. Vessels of this size have never before been able to operate independently, all year round, in such extreme navigational and sea ice conditions. Sovcomflot has developed efficient and safe logistics for the Yamal LNG project. We are pleased that the charterer appreciated these qualities, entrusting shipment of the project’s first LNG cargo to a vessel from our company. On behalf of the crew of the gas carrier Christophe de Margerie and all our team, I should like to express my deep appreciation for this high recognition of our work.”
The Board and personnel of PAO Sovcomflot warmly congratulate Sergey Nikolaevich on this high-level state award, which is a symbol of his undisputed achievements in the development of Arctic shipping.
Sovcomflot (SCF Group) is one of the world's leading energy shipping companies, specialising in the transportation of crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied gas, as well as the servicing of offshore oil and gas exploration and production. The company’s fleet includes 146 vessels with a total deadweight of 12.7 million tonnes. 80 vessels have an ice class.
Sovcomflot is involved in servicing large oil and gas projects in Russia and around the world: Sakhalin-1; Sakhalin-2; Varandey; Prirazlomnoye; Novy Port; Yamal LNG, and Tangguh (Indonesia). The company is headquartered in Saint Petersburg, with offices in Moscow, Novorossiysk, Murmansk, Vladivostok, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, London, Limassol, and Dubai.
The Gas carrier fleet managed by PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group) numbers 13 vessels. Sovcomflot has been an independent owner and operator of LNG tankers since 2006. It was the first Russian company to enter successfully into this segment of the global shipping market. Among the key charterers of the Group’s gas tanker fleet are: Gazprom; Sakhalin Energy; Shell; Yamal LNG; Sibur, and Tangguh LNG. The Group’s gas tanker fleet generates reliable profits. In 2017, revenues from the Group’s gas transportation business increased by 17.4 per cent on 2016, with the gas segment revenues in 2017 representing 15.6 per cent of the Group’s total revenue base compared with 12.3 per cent in the previous year.
Sergey Nikolaevich Zybko is one of the most experienced and professional captains of the Group’s gas carriers. He has dedicated more than 34 years of his life to the sea, initially graduating from the Alexander Popov Naval Radio-electronic Academy in Leningrad, and in 1994 completing his military service as a submarine captain. Since 2006, Captain Zybko has been working for Sovcomflot Group. During this time, he has been master of several SCF gas carriers, including SCF Arctic and SCF Polar, which were the founding vessels of the Group’s LNG carrier fleet. In 2016, he was entrusted with the operation of the first ever Arctic gas carrier Christophe de Margerie.
The LNG carrier Christophe de Margerie was custom-designed and built for SCF Group to enable the safe year-round transportation of liquefied natural gas from the Yamal LNG project. The vessel successfully completed ice trials in February-March 2017. On 30 March 2017, Christophe de Margerie successfully berthed at the gas terminal at Sabetta Port. In August 2017, she safely completed her first commercial voyage, having delivered an LNG cargo from Norway to South Korea via the Northern Sea Route (NSR). During this voyage, the vessel set a new time record for an NSR transit of 6 days 12 hours and 15 minutes. In December 2017, the tanker started operations under the Yamal LNG project. So far, while serving the project, Christophe de Margerie has completed 16 voyages, during which 1.2 million tonnes of LNG have been delivered to customers.
