OREANDA-NEWS. On 9 June 2008, the Arctic shuttle tanker Vasily Dinkov, owned by the Sovcomflot Group, put to sea on her maiden voyage carrying crude oil from the Varandey oil terminal (a joint venture between Lukoil and ConocoPhilips), on the Barents Sea coast in the Nenetsk Autonomous Region. She will deliver a consignment of oil to the Canadian port of Come by Chance.

This is the first major oil export to use a stationary offshore ice-resistant berth, at the Varandey terminal, designed to export oil by sea from the Timan-Pechera oil and gas field.

The voyage marks the launch, according to plan, of a unique system for transporting large quantities of oil in the Arctic region. The experience gained can be used when implementing other complicated energy projects, at the Shtokman and Yamal fields.

The tanker Vasily Dinkov is the lead vessel in a series of three Arctic shuttle tankers, which will all transport oil from the Varandey Terminal. The second tanker of the series – Kapitan Gotsky – was delivered at the end of May 2008, while delivery of the third vessel – Shturman Albanov – is scheduled for March 2009.