Last Yamal LNG Arctic Ships on Sea Trials

The last of 15 Arc7-classed tankers ordered for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) production plant Yamal LNG in Russia's Arctic north are undergoing sea trials around a South Korean shipyard, Refinitiv Eikon shipping data showed on Monday.

The Georgiy Ushakov and Yakov Gakkel LNG tankers are both in water at the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) Okpo shipyard in South Korea and indicating they are performing sea trials, the data showed. The Vladimir Voronin, meanwhile, finished its sea trials and has left the Sea of Japan, setting Yamal LNG as its destination. It is appears to be taking the Northern Sea Route through the
Bering Straits, turning west at the north-eastern tip of Russia.  

The tankers are part of a 15-strong fleet ordered by LNG companies for Yamal, which began operations in December 2017 and has contributed to a boom in LNG supplies in the past 18 months. Yamal is dependent on the ice-breaker tankers to ship LNG out of the Arctic waters.

The tankers have largely conducted ship-to-ship transfers in Europe to conventional carriers for onwards delivery, but during summer months they can traverse the Northern Sea Route to Asia. Two such trips have been made this month. All but one of the tankers are named after Russian arctic
explorers and scientists. The first Arc7 tanker, the Christophe De Margerie, is named after the former boss of Yamal's partner, Total, who died in an air crash in Russia in 2014.
       
 Vessel                                        Status               Operator
 Chris. de Margerie                      In operation        Sovcomflot
 Boris Vilkitsky                              In operation         Dynagas
 Vladimir Rusanov                        In operation         MOL
 Fedor Litke                                  In operation         Dynagas
 Eduard Toll                                  In operation         Teekay
 Rudolf Samoylovich                    In operation         Teekay
 Vladimir Vize                               In operation         MOL
 Georgiy Brusilov                          In operation         Dynagas
 Boris Davydov                             In operation         Dynagas
 Nikolay Zubkov                            In operation         Dynagas
 Nikolay Yevgenov                        In operation         Teekay
 Vladimir Voronin                          En route Sabetta     Teekay
 Nikolay Urvantsev(DSME 2432)  Sea trials           MOL
 Georgiy Ushakov (DSME 2433)   Sea trials           Teekay
 Yakov Gakkel (DSME 2434)         Sea trials           Teekay
 
 (Reuters reporting by Sabina Zawadzki, editing by Louise Heavens)