Novatek has announced that 15 LNG shipments eastbound from the company’s Yamal LNG project to the Asian Pacific markets were made directly via the Northern Sea Route during the third quarter of 2019. According to the company, the eastbound shipments represented about 25% of all LNG dispatched from Yamal LNG during the quarter.
The planned 2019 volumes of LNG delivered eastbound to the Asian Pacific markets via the Northern Sea Route will be up more than 4-fold compared to last year.
A current fleet of 13 Arc7 ice-class tankers along with lower ice-class designated tankers to transport LNG cargoes support the Yamal LNG project.
The full compliment of 15 Arc7 ice-class tankers are expected to be in operation by end of 2019, which will increase the number of direct LNG deliveries eastbound via the Northern Sea Route, the company said in a statement.
“The increase of LNG delivered eastbound via the NSR confirms the commercial priority of the Asia-Pacific region as a strategic direction for future deliveries of Nvatek’s LNG,” noted Lev Feodosyev, First Deputy Chairman of the Novatek Management Board.
“Developing further the navigational efficiency via the NSR combined with the construction of LNG transshipment complexes in Kamchatka and Murmansk will optimize the Company’s logistics chain”, he added.