Sovcomflot’s Arctic Tankers Hit Milestone ‘One Million Tonnes’

The SCF tanker Shturman Albanov pictured at the Arctic Gate marine terminal near Cape Kamenny in the Gulf of Ob. Photo credit: PAO Sovcomflot

Russian shipping company Sovcomflot (SCF) says its new arctic shuttle tankers have now transported one million tonnes of crude oil from the Yamal Peninsula to the port of Murmansk via portions of the Northern Sea Route.

In total, the three SCF tankers have completed a total of 33 voyages carrying cargoes from the Novy Port oil field in the Gulf of Ob. The company said Monday the milestone millionth tonne cargo was loaded on board the tanker Shturman Albanov on Sunday at the Arctic Gate marine terminal located near Cape Kamenny.

Sovcomflot’s three Arctic shuttle tankers, known as Shturman Albanov series, are custom-designed to carry crude oil from the Yamal Peninsula to the port of Murmansk all year round. The vessels are registered under the Russian flag and are homeported in Saint Petersburg. Oil produced at the Novy Port field is shipped under a long-term contract with Gazprom Neft.

The tankers are the first to allow year-round transportation of crude oil from the Novy Port field to Murmansk via portions of the Northern Sea Route, including the Gulf of Ob, Kara Sea, and Barents Sea. Each tanker has deadweight of approximately 42,000 tonnes and is designated to ice class Arc7, capable of operating in the Arctic at temperatures down to –45°C. All three vessels have a length of 249 m and a breadth of 34 m.

The first ship in the series, Shturman Albanov, joined the SCF fleet in August 2016 and loaded the first cargo from the Arctic Gate on September 12, 2016. 

The two other tankers, Shturman Malygin and Shturman Ovtsyn, were put into service in October and December 2016, respectively. 

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