OREANDA-NEWS. September 5, 2011. The large-capacity "Suezmax" tanker Vladimir Tikhonov, owned by SCF Group (Sovcomflot), passed Cape Dezhnev thereby completing her transit along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) – the most difficult part of the high-latitude route from Europe to Asia through the Arctic.

Vladimir Tikhonov is carrying a commercial cargo of over 120,000 tonnes of gas condensate. This voyage is the first time ever a ship of this size, namely over 160,000 tonnes deadweight (ice-class 1A), has transported a full consignment of the cargo using NSR route.

The vessel was escorted by world’s two most powerful nuclear icebreakers "50 let Pobedy" and "Yamal".

Vladimir Tikhonov’s passage followed a new deep-water route to north of the New Siberian Islands archipelago. The total NSR transit was almost 2,200 nautical miles, from Cape Desire (New Earth Island) in the Kara Sea to Cape Dezhnev in the Bering Strait. It was accomplished by the tanker in record time - less than 7.5 days.

The expected time savings from the port of departure to the port of discharge, compared to the traditional route through the Suez Channel, amounts to some seven days. This represents a significant economic advantage and confirms the high potential and strategic importance of using high-latitude routes, to transport energy by sea from prospective oil & gas fields on the continental shelf of the Barents, Pechora and Kara Seas of Russia to world markets.

The tanker Vladimir Tikhonov began her voyage from the port of Murmansk, on the Northern Sea Route, on 20 August 2011 with a full cargo of gas condensate on board belonging to NOVATEK. Her destination port is Map Ta Phut (Thailand).