OREANDA-NEWS. October 23, 2012. Sakhalin Energy’s chartered ice-class vessel “Yuri Topchev” successfully went through the Northern Sea Route from Kholmsk port to Murmansk, reported the press-centre of Sakhalin Energy.  

For the first time a vessel chartered by Sakhalin Energy went through the Northern Sea Route from Russian Far East to reach Europe. “Yuri Topchev” completed its mission on the Sakhalin-2 project and embarked on a new course – for demobilisation as prescribed by the chartering contract.

This route brought significant savings of costs, efforts and time. For comparison, the same route through the Suez Canal would take 45 days, whereas “Yuri Topchev” spent only 21 day. The Northern Sea Route, despite challenging ice conditions, gives opportunity to save fuel, reduce charter costs, and to avoid queuing. The Suez Canal has 18,000 vessels passing through it per year.

Although the company is not planning to use the route frequently (the company's major hydrocarbon deliveries are in the Asia-Pacific), this experience is of great value for Sakhalin Energy and Sakhalin-2 project development.

Reference: Sakhalin Energy has four supply vessels, two standby vessels, two crew boats for personnel transfer, one OSR vessel and four port tugs. Additional standby vessel and an ice breaker can be used when needed, for example during ice season. The marine fleet of the company also includes five LNG carriers, three oil tankers chartered for hydrocarbon delivery to the customers.