A laden Arc7 LNG carrier — the second vessel of its kind to make an early eastbound transit of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) this year — shaved four days off the passage time by taking an unusual southerly course.
Eikland Energy data service iGIS/LNG provided tracking information to TradeWinds that shows the 172,600-cbm Vladimir Voronin (built 2019) taking a shore-hugging route, both early in its voyage and towards the easterly end of the NSR.
The vessel, which is owned by Teekay LNG and China LNG Shipping and on long-term charter to Yamal Trade, took eight days to reach the Bering Strait.
The ship loaded at Yamal LNG’s Sabetta terminal and emerged onto the NSR on 25 May, reaching the Bering Strait on 2 June.
Wrangel route
This compares with 12 days for its sistership the Christophe de Margerie (built 2017), which took a passage to the north of Wrangel Island on its approach to the Bering Strait.
Observers said the difference in voyages could be due to ice cover or a trial of different routes.
Both Arc7 vessels have since arrived off China but as of early this week remain fully loaded.
The two ships made headlines in late May when they set out on early transits of the NSR, two months in advance of when ships would normally attempt this Arctic passage.
Both were accompanied by nuclear-powered icebreakers for all or part of the voyages.
Yamal's lead shareholder, Novatek, detailed the Christophe de Margerie's 2,563 nautical mile (4,746 km) route. The vessel passed through Ob Bay and a part of the Kara Sea without assistance before being met by Atomflot’s nuclear icebreaker Yamal, which escorted it with ice navigation on the eastern part of the NSR.
The ice was up to 1.3 metres thick on the route, Novatek said.
Russia is pushing for the NSR to be open to commercial shipping traffic on a year-round basis from 2024 as it expands its LNG production in the Arctic.
The NSR gives Novatek and its partners on Yamal LNG — and the upcoming Arctic LNG 2 projects — a quicker route to China and north Asia for its shipments.
