Gazprom Completes Historic Voyage Through Arctic Passage On Northern Sea Route From Europe To Japan

The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The various islands of the archipelago are separated from one another and the Canadian mainland by a series of Arctic waterways collectively known as the Northwest Passages or Northwestern Passages.

Sought by explorers for centuries as a possible trade route, it was first navigated by Roald Amundsen in 1903–1906. Until 2009, the Arctic pack ice prevented regular marine shipping throughout most of the year, but climate change has reduced the pack ice, and this Arctic shrinkage made the waterways more navigable. However, the contested sovereignty claims over the waters may complicate future shipping through the region: The Canadian government considers the Northwestern Passages part of Canadian Internal Waters,  but the United States and various European countries maintain they are an international strait or transit passage, allowing free and unencumbered passage.

In November the Ob River liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier chartered by Gazprom Marketing & Trading Group and operated by Dynagas made the world’s first voyage via the Northern Sea Route carrying a cargo. The ship departed from the Hammerfest Snohvit LNG facility headed for the Japanese utility Kyushu Electric Power Co. Before that the tanker completed a test trip on the Arctic sea route empty in October.. The journey took 20 days, three weeks less than the usual route though the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal and around Asia.

The trip was completed accident free and in accord with the timetable,” Russian gas major Gazprom said in a statement. The company said it has been preparing for the trip for over a year. 

Gazprom Marketing and Trading Ltd., a unit of Gazprom chartered the ship with an international crew of 40 from the Greek Dynagas company. The Ob River can carry up to 150,000 cubic meters of gas which is chilled under pressure to turn it into a liquid. The ship has been accompanied by Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers “50 years of Victory”, “Rossya” and “Voigach” during the trip in the Arctic waters.

“Two trips of the Ob River have fully proved the technical and economic viability of the Arctic route for international LNG supplies,” Gazprom said.

Ob River – first LNG carrier to go by Northern Sea Route

Credit: Gazprom Enlarge photo (JPG, 117 KB)

The crew discharged the tanker in Japan, replenished fuel and food reserves in South Korea and after that sailed in ballast to Western Europe via the Northern Sea Route. According to the schedule, the vessel passed Cape Dezhnev, the easternmost point of continental Russia, and entered the Chukchi Sea to meet the 50 Years of Victory nuclear icebreaker on October 9.

Built in 2007, the Ob River carrier is Ice Class 1A (Lloyd’s Register) and ready for low-temperature operation. The carrier crew performed well during ice operations between 2009 and 2011 (shown on photo) when the carrier was chartered by Gazprom Marketing & Trading for LNG export within Sakhalin II, the first Russian project on LNG production, with Gazprom as the majority shareholder. There are Russian officers, graduates of Makarov State Maritime Academy among the members of the internationally diverse crew.

According to Nikolai Grigoryev, Director of the International Shipments and Logistics Department of Gazprom Marketing & Trading: “Starting from 2009, we cooperated with partner shipowners on safety assurance for LNG shipments in ices and low temperature environment specific for the Sakhalin II project. Our purpose was to get ready for possible LNG cargo shipment in the Russian Arctic. Among the challenges of this trial voyage by the Ob River carrier was collection of data and verification of technical and commercial availability of the Northern Sea Route for international LNG trade. The results of the voyage will be extremely important for the entire LNG industry as well as for the Northern Sea Route development, that’s why we are proud that Gazprom is the leader of this strategic project.”

Tony Lauritzen, Commercial Director of Dynagas noted: “Our company long and thoroughly prepared the sail via the Northern Sea Route for the purpose of LNG cargo transportation, and we are enthused that we managed to complete the voyage. We are happy that Gazprom Marketing & Trading took part in the voyage. This company gave a strong backing to this project.”