Arctic Shipping

Arctic shipping and Northern Sea Route transit data and news from gCaptain. Icebreaker deployments, polar class rules, ice reports and seasonal volumes.

Wednesday, October 2, 2024
The Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB-20), a polar-class ice breaker, transits Southeast Alaskan waters Nov. 24, 2018. U.S. Coast Guard Photo
Defense

USCG Icebreaker ‘Healy’ Rushes Back to Arctic to Counter Growing Chinese and Russian Influence

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Two and a half months after suffering from an engine room fire, the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Healy is back in action. The

October 2, 2024
Total Views: 10929

China Coast Guard sailors line up on the back deck of a cutter as it enters the Arctic. Chiense CG Photo
Defense

China Coast Guard Sails Into Arctic Waters

China’s Coast Guard, which gained international attention last month during a 60 Minutes feature showcasing its harassment of Philippine ships, has made

October 2, 2024
Total Views: 2113

Monday, September 30, 2024
newnew panda 2020
Shipping

China Doubles Down on Arctic Container Shipping Dispatching Second Panamax

(gCaptain) – A week after a Panamax container ship became the first vessel of its size to successfully transit the Arctic, another Chinese shipping operator

September 30, 2024
Total Views: 4115

Thursday, September 26, 2024
Lomonosov Prospect northern sea route
Shipping

Russia Ramps Up Arctic Oil Shipping to a New Record

By Julian Lee (Bloomberg) — Russia has already dispatched a record amount of oil through its section of the Arctic Circle this year, expediting cargo

September 26, 2024
Total Views: 1848

Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Flying Fish 1 loaded
Shipping

First Panamax Containership Sprints Across Arctic Reaching China In Just Three Weeks

(gCaptain) – The first Arctic transit of a large container ship has gone off without a hitch. The 294 meter-long Panamax vessel Flying Fish 1, traveled from

September 25, 2024
Total Views: 32817

Monday, September 23, 2024
Everest Energy at Koryak
Shipping

Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’ Offloads Sanctioned LNG at Asian Storage Barge For First Time

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – The next element of Russia’s emerging LNG shadow fleet has materialized over the weekend. LNG carrier Everest Energy traveled

September 23, 2024
Total Views: 12006

Nanortalik waters
Grounding Incidents

Officials Race to Contain Oil Spill Following Sinking of Passenger Vessel in Greenland

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Emergency personnel in Greenland near the southern community of Nanortalik worked over the weekend to contain a 20,000 liters

September 23, 2024
Total Views: 2604

Thursday, September 19, 2024
Second ‘Shadow Fleet’ LNG Carrier Navigates Arctic’s Harsh Ice Conditions
Shipping

Second ‘Shadow Fleet’ LNG Carrier Navigates Arctic’s Harsh Ice Conditions

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Undeterred by tough sea ice conditions in the East Siberian and Chukchi Sea, Russia has dispatched a conventional LNG carrier

September 19, 2024
Total Views: 1032

Monday, September 16, 2024
LNG carrier in dense fog
Shipping

Russia’s LNG ‘Shadow Fleet’ Without Deliveries Six Weeks After First Loading

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Russia’s nascent LNG shadow fleet remains in a state of disarray with no completed deliveries more than six weeks after LNGC

September 16, 2024
Total Views: 25447

Thursday, September 12, 2024
Flying Fish 1, named Oakland at the time, outside Western Scheldt, Netherlands in February 2023. Photo courtesy of Peter Faas
Shipping

Historic First: Two Chinese Container Ships Cross Paths in Arctic Waters

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) In a further sign of the dramatic climatic changes occurring in the Arctic, two major container ships for the first time passed

September 12, 2024
Total Views: 7564

Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Pskov receiving LNG
Shipping

Russia’s Gazprom Sends Baltic LNG Through Arctic Avoiding Africa Detour

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Arctic shipping lanes continue to heat up as an alternative to established trade routes. Russian gas major Gazprom is the

September 10, 2024
Total Views: 3124

Monday, September 9, 2024
Everest Energy Arctic LNG 2
Shipping

In Desperate Move Russia Sends First-Ever Conventional LNG Carrier Through Arctic

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – In a risky move aimed at overcoming Western sanctions Russian LNG producer Novatek dispatched the non-ice class LNG carrier

September 9, 2024
Total Views: 88604

Thursday, September 5, 2024
Arctic LNG 2 employee overlooking the Belokamenka construction yard. (Source: Novatek)
Shipping

Breaking: U.S. Sanctions Additional LNG Carriers In Effort to Deep Freeze Russia’s Arctic LNG 2

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Just days after sanctioning seven LNG carriers associated with Russia’s flagship liquefied gas project, Arctic LNG 2, the

September 5, 2024
Total Views: 2965

Coast Guard Icebreaker ‘Healy’ Set to Redeploy to Arctic Following Repairs
Defense

Coast Guard Icebreaker ‘Healy’ Set to Redeploy to Arctic Following Repairs

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Three weeks after U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Healy returned back to homeport in Seattle following an onboard fire, the vessel

September 5, 2024
Total Views: 2288

Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Chinese container ship Arctic
Shipping

Chinese Container Ship Becomes Largest to Travel Through Arctic

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Hong Kong-flagged and owned container ship NewNew Star has become the largest non-ice class box ship to travel across the

September 4, 2024
Total Views: 7529

The Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB-20), a polar-class ice breaker, transits Southeast Alaskan waters Nov. 24, 2018. U.S. Coast Guard Photo
Shipping

GAO Report Reveals Coast Guard’s Arctic Challenges, Calls for Improved Planning

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a new report highlighting significant challenges faced by the U.S. Coast Guard in its Arctic

September 4, 2024
Total Views: 1539

Tuesday, September 3, 2024
LNG carrier at dusk
Shipping

Russia’s LNG ‘Shadow Fleet’ Grinds to Halt Following Suspension of Flag

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – A week after the Republic of Palau, an island country in the Western Pacific, temporarily suspended the flag of three LNG

September 3, 2024
Total Views: 60199

Thursday, August 29, 2024
Saam FSU and LNGC
Energy

Russia Begins Use of World’s Largest Saam FSU in LNG ‘Shadow Fleet’ Scheme

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Russia added the next piece to its game of ‘shadow fleet’ chess. Recently sanctioned carrier Everest Energy, carrying a

August 29, 2024
Total Views: 23047

Tuesday, August 27, 2024
FILE PHOTO: Shutterstock/Vallehr
Shipping

Crude Oil Tankers Divert Via Arctic Bypassing Red Sea Chaos

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Crude oil shipments via the Arctic look set to reach a new highpoint in the coming weeks. The largest oil tanker to venture

August 27, 2024
Total Views: 8125

Monday, August 26, 2024
Ship-to-ship transfer of Russian LNG from Yamal LNG near Honningsvåg on February 19, 2019. (Source: Courtesy of Kystverket / Norwegian Coastal Administration)
Energy

U.S. Not Done Targeting Russian LNG: ‘We Will Keep Tightening The Screws’

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – As part of a sweeping sanctions package announced on Friday the U.S. State Department targets around one percent of the global

August 26, 2024
Total Views: 1520