World's First Northern Sea Route LNG Tankship Transit

Gazprom successfully completes world’s first LNG supply via Northern Sea Route in the 'Ob River' carrier.

The carrier left the Port of Hammerfest (Norway) to arrive at the regasification terminal in the Port of Tobata (Japan) delivering a Gazprom Group-owned LNG cargo to Japanese consumers.

The Ob River LNG carrier was escorted by Atomflot-owned atomic icebreakers led by two ice masters. During the first half of the voyage, between the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea, there was not much ice in the waters, but during the second half of the passage, from the Vilkitski Strait to the Bering Strait, the LNG carrier was headed through young ice with the thickness reaching 30 centimeters.

The voyage was accomplished safely and fully in accordance with schedule. The ultimate success was assured by professionalism of the Ob River's crew and high-level support of ice masters, captains and crews of the ice breakers “50 Years of Victory”, “Russia” and “Vaygach” as well as offshore personnel of Atomflot and the NSR Administration under the Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport (the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation).

This time the LNG carrier was loaded – after the no-load trip from Japan to Europe made earlier in October this year. Two return passages of the Ob River via the NSR confirmed technical and economic feasibility of the Northern Sea Route for international LNG shipments from Russian gas liquefaction projects in the Arctic region.