Our Arctic Neighbors: Shipyard launches second shuttle tanker

The Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg has launched a new shuttle tanker built for Sovcomflot, Russia’s largest shipping company said in a release Dec. 18. The Kirill Lavrov will operate alongside the Mikhail Ulyanov, a similar tanker that was launched recently, shipping oil from the Prirazlomnoye field in the Pechora Sea to the floating Belokamenka terminal in the Kola Bay near Murmansk. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and other high-level officials in the Russian government attended the launch ceremony.

The vessels are 70,000-ton ice-class tankers. They use the patented principle of “double action,” according to Sovcomflot: They move with the ice-breaking stern facing forward in heavy ice, and with the bow facing forward in clear water and light ice. The tankers include landing pads for Mi-8 transport helicopters and can operate in ice with a thickness of up to nearly four feet. They will have crews of 25, who will be able to enjoy an on-board gym, sauna, swimming pool, satellite television and internet access.

—Sarah Hurst