LNG carrier traverses Northern Sea Route

According to a report in the Barents Observer a tanker designed to carry liquefied natural gas, or LNG, has for the first time traversed the Northern Sea route, the Arctic sea passage that Russia is opening around its northern coast.

The LNG tanker “Ob River,” under charter with Russian gas company Gazprom, took about six days to sail east to west around the route, having left South Korea at the beginning of October, the Barents Observer said. A purpose of the voyage was to test the technical and commercial viability of transporting LNG by this route: The tanker was actually carrying ballast rather than LNG.

The Barents Observer also said that Russian authorities have given permission to Norwegian company Knutsen OAS Shipping to carry LNG from Norway’s Snohvit gas field in the Barents Sea to Japan around the Northern Sea Route, but that Knutsen has yet to ship any LNG in this manner.

As the summer Arctic sea ice extent shrinks under the impact of global warming, Russia has been promoting the use of the Northern Sea Route and has been expanding port capabilities along the route. The country has a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers to escort ships traversing the route. When open, the route is shortest marine passage between Europe and the Far East.

—Alan Bailey