Gas tanker "Christophe de Margerie", filled with a test volume of liquefied natural gas, first arrived at the port of Sabetta (Yamalo-Nenets autonomous region) along the northern sea route.
The ice-breaking ability and maneuverability of the first and so far only gas tanker for the Yamal LNG plant were fully confirmed by ice tests that took place from February 19 to March 8 in the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea; the icebreaking gas carrier managed to exceed many design indicators. “Christophe de Margerie” has proven the ability to move stern first in ice 1.5 meters thick at a speed of 7.2 knots (target - 5 knots) and bow at a speed of 2.5 knots (target - 2 knots). In the coastal area west of the Nordenskiöld archipelago "Christophe de Margerie" successfully overcame, stern first, a hummock 4.5 m high above the ice, keel depth 12-15 m, cross-sectional area 650 m² .
The President of Russia launched the first loading of a tanker with liquefied gas from the Yamal LNG plant >>
In the port of Sabetta it completes its first voyage along the western part of the Northern Sea Route. In Sabetta, the tanker crew and port workers will practice the procedure for entering the port and mooring. In difficult ice conditions and a small port water area, this is not easy, because the length of the gas carrier is 300 meters.
Unique icebreaking LNG carrier "Christophe de Margerie"(Christophe de Margerie) ice class Arc7 is the first of fifteen Sovcomflot gas tankers* for the Yamal LNG project. It is capable of operating at temperatures down to minus 52 degrees, mThe propulsion power of the gas carrier is 45 MW. It includes Azipod-type thrusters. They provide high ice-breaking ability and maneuverability and allow the use of the principle of stern-first movement, which is necessary for overcoming hummocks and heavy ice fields. At the same time, the Christophe de Margerie** became the world’s first Arctic ice-class vessel to have three Azipods installed at once.
"Christophe de Margerie" crossed the Northern Sea Route in record time >>
The crew consists of 29 people and is entirely staffed by Russian sailors.The gas carrier's staff includes 13 people, each of whom has extensive experience in Arctic shipping and additionally underwent specialized training at the Sovcomflot training center in St. Petersburg.
Representatives of the shipbuilding yard (Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering), key equipment suppliers (primarily ABB, the manufacturer of Azipods), leading specialized research and development companies took part in the ice tests. design organizations, both Russian (Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, Krylov State Research Center) and international (Aker Arctic Research Center, Hamburg Ship Model Basin).
During its first call to the port of Sabetta, the gas carrier also successfully carried out a test passage through a specially created sea channel - the most difficult section of the Ob Bay in terms of navigation. The canal was laid in order for large-tonnage vessels to overcome the bar (underwater sandbank) at the confluence of the Ob River and the Kara Sea. The engineering structure, unique for the Arctic basin, is planned to be operated in difficult conditions of constant ice drift. The canal is 15 m deep, 295 m wide, and 50 km long.
The tanker was built taking into account all the requirements of the Polar Code and is characterized by high environmental safety. Along with traditional types of fuel, the ship's propulsion unit can use stripped liquefied natural gas. Compared to traditional heavy fuel, the use of LNG can significantly reduce emissions of harmful gases into the atmosphere: sulfur oxides (SOx) by 90%, nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 80% and carbon dioxide (CO2) by 15%.
The fifth tanker for the Yamal LNG plant >>
For further mooring, the tanker will be moved to a technological berth intended for carrying out cargo operations for loading tankers with liquefied natural gas obtained at the processing plant.
About the project
The Yamal LNG project is being implemented on the Yamal Peninsula beyond the Arctic Circle on the basis of the South Tambeyskoye field. The operator of the Project is OJSC Yamal LNG - a joint venture of OJSC NOVATEK (50.1%), the TOTAL concern (20%) and the China National Petroleum Corporation (20%) and the Silk Road Fund (9.9%).
The construction of the liquefied natural gas plant is carried out in three stages with the launch in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. The project provides for the annual production of about 16.5 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and up to 1.2 million tons of gas condensate for delivery to the markets of the Asia-Pacific region and Europe.
The cost of the project is estimated at $27 billion. Almost the entire volume has been contracted - 96% of the future LNG volume.The logistics infrastructure of the Yamal LNG project is completely completed. Two checkpoints are fully operational - sea at the port of Sabetta and air at Sabetta airport.
Resource base
The resource base for the implementation of the Yamal LNG Project is the South Tambeyskoye field, discovered in 1974 and located in the northeast of the Yamal Peninsula. The license for the development of the South Tambeyskoye field is valid until December 31, 2045 and belongs to Yamal LNG OJSC.
New icebreaking supply vessel >>
A complex of geological exploration work was carried out at the field, including 2D and 3D CDP seismic exploration, drilling of prospecting and appraisal and exploration wells, creation of geological and hydrodynamic models of the field. Based on the results of geological and hydrodynamic modeling, an assessment of gas and gas condensate reserves was carried out, which was approved by the State Commission for Mineral Reserves and confirmed by an international auditor.
Proven and probable reserves of the Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye field according to PRMS standards as of December 31, 2014 amount to 926 billion m³ of gas. The potential level of gas production to meet the needs of the LNG plant exceeds 27 billion m³ per year.
In addition, Gazprom carried out comprehensive geological exploration and 3D seismic work on an area of 2,650 km at the Tambey group of fields.² , 14 exploration wells were drilled, and the increase in reserves amounted to 4.1 trillion m³ gas Thus, reserves of the Tambey cluster amount to 6.7 trillion m³ .
A number of fields of the Tambey group contain so-called wet gas, which is characterized by a high ethane content, and deep processing of wet gas components will undoubtedly increase economic efficiency development of all reserves of the Tambey group.
Gazprom is ready to consider the possibility of creating joint ventures. First of all, they will focus on Russian companies, who already have competencies in the field of gas liquefaction, who have experience in working with wet gas reserves. Most likely, they will cooperate with PJSC NOVATEK, which recently signed a framework agreement with TechnipFMC, Linde AG and JSC Research and Design Institute for Gas Processing (NIPIGAZ).
Gazprom is ready to begin offshore laying of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline >>
The document sets out the basic terms of cooperation on the design and further implementation of LNG plant projects on a concrete gravity-type foundation within the framework of Arctic LNG-2, as well as subsequent NOVATEK LNG projects.
NOVATEK also signed a license agreement with Linde AG to purchase a license for natural gas liquefaction technology for the Arctic LNG-2 project.
Thus, Russian enterprise received unique competencies in the implementation of the Yamal LNG project, which will allow optimizing the choice of a new technological concept for future LNG projects. The signed agreements pave the way for decision-making on the next Arctic LNG projects and are aimed at significantly improving their economics, which will ensure the competitiveness of their products in any world market.
The Belkomur highway will provide an opportunity to implement 40 large investment projects >>
ARCTIC drilling rigs were developed and manufactured especially for the project. The units are designed to operate in the difficult natural and climatic conditions of Yamal; they are completely protected from winds, which ensures comfortable conditions labor for personnel and continuity of drilling regardless of weather conditions.
LNG plant
An LNG plant with a capacity of about 16.5 million tons of LNG is being built directly at the South Tambeyskoye field on the shore of the Ob Bay.
The construction uses a modular installation principle, which significantly reduces construction costs in Arctic conditions and optimizes the project implementation schedule. Industrial complex will include three technological lines gas liquefaction plants with a capacity of 5.5 million tons per year each. The first phase is planned to be launched in 2017.
In conditions of low average annual temperatures in the Arctic, less specific energy is required for gas liquefaction, which allows achieving higher volumes of LNG production compared to projects located in southern latitudes and using similar equipment.
About the Silk Road >>
After the plant is launched, the hydrocarbon mixture from the wells will be supplied through gas collection networks to a single integrated complex for the preparation and liquefaction of natural gas. At the entrance facilities of the complex, separation will occur - separation of mechanical impurities, water, methanol and condensate from the gas. The inlet structures include methanol regeneration and condensate stabilization units.
The separated gas will be supplied to liquefaction lines and subsequently undergo purification from acid gases and traces of methanol, drying and removal of mercury, extraction of ethane, propane and heavier hydrocarbon fractions. Next, the purified gas will be supplied for pre-cooling and liquefaction. LNG will be supplied for storage in special closed-type isothermal tanks; the construction of four tanks with a volume of 160,000 m³ each is planned.
The integrated complex will also include liquefied petroleum gas fractionation plants, stable condensate and refrigerant storage parks, a 376 MW power plant, general plant engineering systems and flare installations.
Sabetta village
The village of Sabetta, located on the eastern shore of the Yamal Peninsula, is a stronghold of the Yamal LNG Project. In the 80s of the 20th century, the Tambey exploration drilling expedition for oil and gas was located in Sabetta.
During the implementation of the Yamal LNG Project, a modern infrastructure for the construction workers' accommodation, auxiliary facilities of the life support complex were erected: a fuel and lubricants storage warehouse, a boiler room, canteens, a first-aid post, a bathhouse, a sports complex, an administrative and amenity complex, a hotel, sewerage and water treatment facilities, food storage warehouses. An additional dining room, a laundry room, a fire station, a warm parking lot, and additional housing are being built. The peak number of employees during the construction phase of the Project is 15,000 people.
The multifunctional port of Sabetta is being built as part of the Yamal LNG Project on the principles of public-private partnership. Federal property (the construction customer is FSUE Rosmorport) will include ice protection structures, operational water areas, approach channels, vessel traffic control and navigation support systems, and maritime service buildings. Yamal LNG facilities include technological berths for transshipment of liquefied natural gas and gas condensate, rolling cargo berths, construction cargo berths, port fleet berths, warehouses, administrative and economic zones, engineering networks and communications.
The largest gas processing plant in Russia >>
The boundaries of the seaport in the area of the village of Sabetta were established by Order of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 242-r dated February 26, 2013. By Order of the Federal Agency for Sea and River Transport of the Russian Federation dated July 25, 2014 No. KS-286-r, the seaport of Sabetta was included in the register of sea ports of Russia.
The port is being built in two stages - preparatory and main. The preparatory stage is the construction of a cargo port to receive construction cargo and technological modules of the LNG plant. Currently the port operates year-round, accepts technological and construction cargo.
The main stage of port construction includes technological berths for the shipment of LNG and gas condensate. The port will be ready to accept LNG tankers in 2017.During the first quarter of 2017, the seaport registered 17 international calls by vessels along the Northern Sea Route, despite the fact that the beginning of the year is considered the most difficult in terms of ice conditions.
In the tundra in the north of the Arctic Circle, a modern airport was built that meets all international standards. In the first quarter of 2017, 16 international air flights were already registered from Belgium, China, Scotland and South Korea.For comparison, for the entire 2016 there were only 11 international flights. In early March, Russia's northernmost airport, Sabetta, on the shores of the Kara Sea, received for the first time the largest An-124 Ruslan aircraft with cargo from China; on board were delivered components intended for the construction of the giant Yamal LNG liquefaction plant, weighing 67 .67 tons.
The airport complex includes an ICAO category I airfield, a 2704 m x 46 m runway, aircraft hangars, a service and passenger building, including international sector. The airport can accommodate planes various types IL-76, A-320, Boeing-737-300, 600, 700, 800, Boeing-767-200, as well as MI-26, MI-8 helicopters. The airport operator is 100% subsidiary OJSC Yamal LNG - LLC Sabetta International Airport.
Gazprom Neft has launched the first project to study the Bazhenov Formation in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug >>
* Sovcomflot has been working within the framework of the first subarctic project on the Sakhalin shelf “Sakhalin-1” since 2006. In 2008, the company began transporting crude oil as part of the Varandey Arctic project, which is currently serviced by three SCF shuttle tankers - Vasily Dinkov, Kapitan Gotsky, and Timofey Guzhenko. As of March 1, 2017, they safely transported over 51 million tons of Varandey oil. In 2010-2011, after careful consideration of the issue with enterprises of the Russian Ministry of Transport, Atomflot and interested charterers, Sovcomflot organized experimental cargo flights of the tankers SCF Baltika (deadweight - 117.1 thousand tons) and Vladimir Tikhonov (deadweight - 162.4 thousand tons) by high-latitude routes. In the period from 2010 to 2014, Sovcomflot PJSC vessels carried out 16 high-latitude voyages, thanks to which the possibility of commercial use of the Northern Sea Route during summer navigation was proven and a new deep-water route north of the New Siberian Islands was developed.
In 2014, Sovcomflot began transporting crude oil With Prirazlomnoye field(Pechora Sea), for the service of which two SCF Arctic shuttle tankers, the Mikhail Ulyanov and the Kirill Lavrov, were built at the St. Petersburg Admiralty Shipyards. At the end of March this year, they transported 4 million tons of Arctic oil.
Arctic Oil >>
At the end of autumn 2016, Sovcomflot began transporting oil from the Novoportovskoye oil and gas condensate field. To service it, a series of unique Arctic shuttle tankers was specially designed and built - “Shturman Albanov”, “Shturman Malygin”, “Shturman Ovtsyn” of high ice class Arc7, allowing to overcome ice up to 1.8 meters thick. The tankers are equipped with a powerful propulsion system consisting of two Azipod thrusters with a total capacity of 22 MW. By March 2017, tankers transported 1.3 million tons of Novoportovsk oil.
** The unique icebreaking LNG carrier Christophe de Margerie of the Arc7 ice class, built for the Yamal LNG project (Kara Sea), was added to the SCF fleet. This is the first Yamalmax class gas carrier, which has no analogues in the world. The vessel was built at the Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard ( South Korea). It was launched in October 2016.Tanker naming ceremony ice class "Christophe de Margerie", named after the deceased head of the French company Total, will be held in June in St. Petersburg, reportedTotal CEO Patrick Pouyanne.The estimated cost of the gas carrier is about $290 million.
A special feature of this vessel is its Arc7 ice class, the use of 3 Azipod-type propellers, as well as the use of the so-called DAS concept (Aker Arctic Technologies Inc.), according to which the vessel can move bow forward in open water and stern forward in ice conditions , thereby moving through the ice without the help of icebreakers. The vessel has two full-fledged wheelhouses - for movement by the stern and movement by the bow.
The Turkish Stream has been launched >>
Both navigation bridges equipped navigation system TRANSAS MFD, consisting of 12 multifunctional workstations with a full set of basic applications, including cartographic navigation information system ECDIS, radar station Navi-Radar 4000, Navi-Conning 4000 navigation information display system, BAMS alarm and alarm tracking system, as well as Navi-Planner 4000 route planning station, which allows the vessel to navigate a pre-selected route with minimal participation from the navigator.
The vessel is equipped in full compliance with the requirements of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS) and the international classification community BV. All equipment is designed and tested for year-round operation in harsh climatic conditions at temperatures down to -52° C.
The uniqueness of the equipment installed by Transas lies in the fact that all workstations, located both in the bow and stern bridges, are integrated into a single comprehensive system with the possibility of duplicating the main functions of the vessel’s operational activities to improve navigation safety. This is especially important during the effective implementation of the large-scale Yamal LNG project, for which the LNG tanker Christophe de Margerie is intended. 
Arctic bases of Russia Unique video of the Arctic Landing of motorized rifles in the Arctic Franz Josef Land
"Christophe de Margerie", the world's first icebreaking tanker for transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG), successfully made its first mooring to the gas terminal in the port of Sabetta (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug). The tanker of PJSC Sovcomflot is designed to service the Yamal LNG project and year-round transportation of LNG in the difficult ice conditions of the Kara Sea and the Gulf of Ob
On March 30, during a live teleconference between Arkhangelsk and Sabetta, Russian President Vladimir Putin received the report of the ship’s captain, Sergei Zybko, on the successful completion of ice tests and the first mooring to the Yamal LNG terminal in the port of Sabetta. Participation in gala event received by the Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Maxim Sokolov, First Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Alexey Teksler, Chairman board of PJSC NOVATEK Leonid Mikhelson, President of the Total concern Patrick Pouyanne, Deputy Head of the State Energy Administration of the People's Republic of China Li Fanrong, general manager and Chairman of the Board of PAO Sovcomflot Sergei Frank.
“I would like to congratulate you all on today’s event – both the Russian participants and our foreign partners. The arrival of a new ice class tanker is a major event in the development of the Arctic. The same, in fact, as the construction of the port of Sabetta itself, where the tanker entered today - a port that was built in an open field, as we say, from scratch,” Vladimir Putin said in his welcoming speech.
“I would like to draw your attention to the fact that when developing the enormous riches of the Arctic, we, of course, proceed from the main principle - do no harm - and from the fact that the ecosystem of this region is very sensitive to any human intervention. But I know, I know for sure, because I am familiar with your work in detail, I know that the port of Sabetta itself, the ships (the first of which arrived at this port today, and a total of 15 of them should be built, including with the involvement of Russian shipbuilders) and itself the method of extraction, then transportation - all this is built on the highest technical, technological and environmental standards,” Vladimir Putin emphasized.
“I am very pleased to note that the new ice-class vessel, which, in fact, has no analogues in the world, is named in honor of our great friend, French entrepreneur and former head of Total, Christophe de Margerie, who tragically passed away,” he said in conclusion. President of the Russian Federation in his speech.
In terms of its characteristics, the icebreaking gas carrier Christophe de Margerie has no analogues in the world. It was assigned ice class Arc7 - the highest among existing transport ships. The gas carrier is capable of independently overcoming ice up to 2.1 meters thick. “Christophe de Margerie” can follow the Northern Sea Route in the western direction from Sabetta all year round and in the eastern direction for six months (from July to December). Previously, the period of summer navigation in the Northern Sea Route waters was limited to four months and only with icebreaker support.
The propulsion power of the gas carrier is 45 MW. This is one and a half times the power of the first in the world. nuclear icebreaker"Lenin" (32.4 MW).
In one voyage the vessel is capable of transporting 172,600 cubic meters. meters of LNG - this volume is enough to completely supply a country like Sweden with gas for four weeks. The length of the vessel reaches 299 meters (the height of the Eiffel Tower is 300 meters). The height of the vessel from keel to keel is 60 meters (comparable to the height of a 22-story building).
The crew consists of 29 people and is entirely staffed by Russian sailors. The full-time officer corps of the gas carrier includes 13 people, each of whom has significant experience in Arctic shipping and additionally underwent specialized training at the Sovcomflot training center in St. Petersburg.
“The construction of the port of Sabetta is carried out on the principles of public-private partnership and, in terms of its scale, is today the largest infrastructure project in the world implemented in the Arctic latitudes. The total investment is 108 billion rubles, of which 72 billion rubles. - these are the means federal budget, and a third is private investment. Now the port is actually operating in normal mode. <…>The implementation of this project on a full scale made it possible not only to carry out the construction of an LNG plant, but also strengthened the position of the Russian Federation in the Arctic and contributed to the development of the Northern Sea Route,” noted Maxim Sokolov.
“This region is the richest place in terms of its reserves. It is possible to produce more than 70 million tons of LNG here. Here it is possible to create a hub with a global market share of more than 15% by value. The created infrastructure will help to achieve this in as soon as possible“, emphasized Leonid Mikhelson.
“Today’s events are the result of painstaking collaboration companies Sovcomflot, NOVATEK and Yamal LNG, which took about ten years. A project of such scale and complexity required deep study of all the details. This is justified: the Arctic does not forgive haste and lack of professionalism. The starting point was the successful projects of Sovcomflot in the Barents and Pechora Seas, as well as experimental transit flights along the Northern Sea Route, which Sovcomflot and NOVATEK jointly conducted in 2010-2011 with the support of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation and Atomflot. We have proven that using high-latitude routes as a transport corridor for large-tonnage vessels is not only technically possible, but also economically feasible. These results laid the foundation for the successful implementation of the Yamal LNG project, which would have been impossible without an effective and safe logistics scheme for sea transportation of LNG,” said Sergey Frank.
Christophe de Margerie is the pilot vessel of a series of 15 gas carriers that are expected to be built to service the Yamal LNG project. The appearance of this gas carrier marked the emergence of a new class of vessels on the market - the Yamalmax.
The Christophe de Margerie propulsion system includes steering columns of the Azipod type. They provide high ice penetration and maneuverability and allow the use of the stern-first principle (Double Acting Tanker, DAT function), which is necessary to overcome hummocks and heavy ice fields. At the same time, the Christophe de Margerie became the world's first Arctic ice-class vessel to have three Azipods installed at once.
The ice-breaking ability and maneuverability of the new vessel were fully confirmed by ice tests, which took place from February 19 to March 8 in the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea. During the tests, the ship managed to exceed a number of indicators:
The vessel has proven its ability to move stern first in ice 1.5 meters thick at a speed of 7.2 knots (target - 5 knots) and bow at a speed of 2.5 knots (target - 2 knots);
The turning radius of the vessel in ice 1.7 meters thick was 1,760 meters compared to the planned 3,000 meters.
Representatives of the shipyard (Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering), key equipment suppliers (primarily ABB, the manufacturer of Azipods), leading specialized research and design organizations, both Russian (Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, Krylov State Scientific Center) took part in the ice tests ), and international (Aker Arctic Research Center, Hamburg Ship Model Basin).
During its first call to the port of Sabetta, the gas carrier also successfully made a test passage through a specially created sea channel. This is the most difficult section of the Ob Bay in terms of navigation. The canal was laid in order for large-tonnage vessels to overcome the bar (underwater sandbank) at the confluence of the Ob River and the Kara Sea. The engineering structure, unique for the Arctic basin, is planned to be operated in difficult conditions of constant ice drift. The canal has a depth of 15 meters, a width of 295 meters, and a length of 50 km.
The tanker was built taking into account all the requirements of the Polar Code and is characterized by high environmental safety. Along with traditional types of fuel, the ship's propulsion unit can use stripped liquefied natural gas. Compared to traditional heavy fuel, the use of LNG can significantly reduce emissions of harmful gases into the atmosphere: sulfur oxides (SOx) by 90%, nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 80% and carbon dioxide (CO2) by 15%.
Gas carrier "Christophe de Margerie" in the port of Sabetta
In the first part, we talked about the liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in the Yamal LNG project. Now let's talk about LNG transportation and carriers.
The first liquefied gas was loaded onto the gas tanker Christophe de Margerie on December 8, 2017. President Vladimir Putin took part in the ceremony and launched the loading.
Christophe de Margerie is the pilot vessel of a series of 15 gas tankers designed to service the Yamal LNG project. Gas carriers of this series are capable of year-round operation at temperatures down to -50 degrees Celsius. Ice reinforcements of the high Arctic category (Arc7) will allow them to independently overcome ice up to 2.1 meters thick when moving stern first. The vessels are equipped with three Azipod-type propulsion complexes with a total power of 45 MW, which is comparable to the power of a nuclear icebreaker. New system membrane type gas storage GT NO 96 GW, used in cargo tanks with a total volume of 172,600 cubic meters. m, ensures safe transportation of LNG along the Northern Sea Route.
Main characteristics: Deadweight 85,000 tons. Length 299.9 meters, width 50 meters, draft 12 meters. Operating speed 19.5 knots. According to its characteristics, the vessel currently has no analogues in the world. According to ITAR-TASS, the cost of one gas carrier is about $220-230 million.
Construction is being carried out in the Republic of Korea at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard under the technical supervision of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. DSME won the tender to build a series of 15 ice-class gas tankers in July 2013. The agreement on the construction of gas carriers was concluded between DSME and Yamal LNG, but allows for the possible transfer of the right to finance and purchase tankers to a third party - carrier companies selected by Yamal LNG. According to DSME, shipping companies Mitsui OSK Lines and Teekay will receive a total of nine tankers of this series, and shipping company Dynagas will have five.
The first cargo from Yamal LNG, containing 170 thousand cubic meters of LNG, was sent to the Malaysian Petronas LNG UK Limited (PLUK), Novatek reported.
This message from Novatek requires some explanation.
OJSC Yamal-LNG sold a batch of gas loaded at Christophe de Margerie to Novatek Gas and Power (a 100% subsidiary of Novatek, its trader registered in Switzerland), and Novatek Gas and Power now sells liquefied gas Petronas LNG UK Limited (PLUK), registered in England, is a 100% subsidiary of the Malaysian state company Petronas. It is clear that there is a game going on with prices; additional revenue will end up in Switzerland without taxes in the Russian treasury.
According to data from the MarineTraffic vessel monitoring service, the Christophe de Margerie departed from Sabetta along the western route. The tanker's destination is indicated as Skagen, a Danish port where a large regasification terminal is located. This means that this LNG, owned by PLUK, will go straight into the gas transportation system Western Europe. Here Novatek becomes a direct competitor to Gazprom.
But this applies to LNG sales.
What about transportation?
Shortly before the ceremonial start of loading the first batch of LNG at the gas terminal in the port of Sabetta, the President spoke about how it should be carried out.
But the president believes that the Duma and officials, as they say, have it in place. More than a year a draft law on this is in the Duma. In the meantime, as RBC wrote more than 8 years ago, Russian ships continue to sail under foreign flags, the country’s economy is suffering significant damage, ships and their crews are deprived of state protection. And it’s all about bureaucratic obstacles and the high cost of registering ships under the Russian flag. And, paradoxically, Roskomflot, a 100% state-owned company, registers its ships under a foreign flag. Here are the registration details of the first gas carrier:
Gas tanker "Christophe de Margerie" IMO: 9737187, flag Cyprus, home port Limassol, built on November 9, 2016, building number 2418. Shipbuilder: Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering. Owner: SCF Management Services (Cyprus) Ltd. Operator: Sovcomflot (UK).
The remaining ships will bear the names of Russian Arctic explorers. Thus, the first two gas tankers of the Teekay company (in total the company ordered 6 vessels for the Yamal project) will be named “Eduard Toll” and “Rudolf Samoilovich”.
If a law were adopted giving an exclusive right to pass through the Northern Sea Route, all 15 gas carriers being built to service the Yamal-LNG project would have to be registered in our ports, for example Murmansk. And this is additional revenue to the budget.
Hot news from cold lands. The only gas carrier-icebreaker of its kind on the planet, built by South Korean shipbuilders to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Yamal Peninsula abroad, is heading to the Arctic port of Sabetta. In total, the tanker flotilla will consist of 15 such vessels. There are only a few months left before the launch of the LNG plant, the construction of which is closely monitored by many countries: the readiness of the first stage of the plant is about 90 percent.
Construction of a plant for the production of liquefied gas "Yamal LNG". Photo: Evgeny Odinokov/RIA Novosti
One plant is not enough, and with it Russia’s share in global LNG exports will be insignificant, warns a famous geologist from Western Siberia, General Director of the Siberian Scientific and Analytical Center Anatoly Brekhuntsov. From the rostrum of the Federation Council, he convinces legislators of the need to form a national program for the construction of a network of large specialized industries in the polar zone of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Trillions of rubles will be required, but the investments, say supporters of the accelerated industrialization of reindeer territories, will bring profit.
To the liquid fraction
To understand the importance of LNG in modern energy, we first turn to statistics that seem paradoxical at first glance. The Russian Federation, which has a sixth of the world's volatile hydrocarbon reserves, is in second position after Iran. In the USA there is three times less gas in the ground than here. At the same time, in Russia since the beginning of the century, the level of its production has remained almost unchanged, while that of rival states has increased significantly. In general - per trillion cubic meters. Accordingly, the Russian Federation and exports failed to increase.
For LNG, the indicators are frankly depressing: we produce 14.6 billion cubic meters per year - less than five percent of the world's volume. Today, the No. 1 exporter on the foreign market is Qatar. The United States wants to overtake it and already sees itself among Europe’s largest partners: in lately from the New World to the Old Tankers with hot commodity became more frequent. According to experts from an international consulting company, in 15-18 years Australia will become the sole leader, increasing LNG production to 195 billion cubic meters, the USA can reach 145, and Russia - only up to 55, increasing its share to approximately seven percent. The demand for liquefied gas, which can be conveniently transported across seas and oceans, and then, on land, returned to its original state and put through pipes, is growing by leaps and bounds, and competition is becoming tougher. Whoever hesitates will be hopelessly left behind.
Having amazing resources, we sell little. It's a shame. Reserves are concentrated mainly within the boundaries of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. In our opinion, up to 150 billion cubic meters of LNG can be produced here,” says Anatoly Brekhuntsov.
The Russian Federation, which has a sixth of the natural gas reserves on the planet, produces only 14.6 billion cubic meters of LNG per year - less than five percent of the world's volume
According to the Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, the groundwork was formed not without the active participation of budgetary capital. A seaport has been built in the Gulf of Ob; a canal about 500 meters wide has been dug for the unhindered passage of ships in the shallow waters. There is an international airport near the village of Sabetta. The first-born plant is about to start operating. There should be several like him in the region, the scientist is sure.
Two trillion project
For the first time LNG in industrial scale learned to receive it back in 1941 in Cleveland, America. In the Russian Federation, a similar production was launched 65 years later in the south of Sakhalin. It's just a stone's throw from insatiable Asian consumers. The Yamal plant is in the middle of nowhere, among snow and ice. What is the economic attractiveness of the project? Its developers list the following advantages. Firstly, there is gas under your feet. The deposit is rich, it will not be depleted for a long time, and there are plenty of deposits nearby. Secondly, cold is an ally and sharply reduces energy costs: after all, the gas needs to be cooled to minus 162 Celsius. Thirdly, the Northern Sea Route (NSR) is nearby. Drive to the left - you will come to Europe, turn right - to Asia. Warming is beneficial: the duration of navigation has increased. Fourthly, generous tax preferences are provided.
The Novatek company, the initiator of a geographically unprecedented project for the industry at a cost of 27 billion dollars, did not rule out that it would face complex technical and technological challenges. These periodically made themselves felt. But all of them were overshadowed by an unforeseen and extremely painful problem - the loss of creditors after the imposition of sanctions. American and European banks, which had promised to finance two-thirds of the costs, pulled out. We received 150 billion rubles borrowed from the National Welfare Fund. Long negotiations with bankers from the Middle Kingdom were crowned with success. By the way, almost a third of the shares of the Yamal LNG plant are owned by the national oil and gas corporation CNPC and the Silk Road Fund. Both they and the holder controlling stake Novatek and the French Total (it has 20 percent) are aimed primarily at selling Yamal gas to China and other Asia-Pacific countries.
The commissioning of the first stage still had to be postponed by a year - to 2017. Let me remind you, there are three queues. Each will produce 5.5 million tons.
If everything works out as planned, then, probably, those representatives of foreign business who are now watching the situation with interest will calculate options for investment in the Arctic region. Northerners are already waiting for the start of construction of a second plant, identical in capacity. It is supposed to be mounted on offshore platforms near the Gydan Peninsula.
Until we are convinced of its effectiveness transport logistics, it’s too early to talk about the next factories, the candidate believes technical sciences Dmitry Volosnyak. - The obstacle here is not distance. Let's turn our gaze to the other side of the world - Australia. The local climate, in contrast to the Arctic, leads, in theory, to an increase in the cost of LNG production, but transporting the product across the warm ocean is relatively cheap. Ours, Arctic, must be overcome.
Left hand drive
The plant being completed next to Sabetta is 650 thousand tons of structures. They, manufactured mainly abroad, were delivered to the place by the seas of the Arctic Ocean, but from Northern Europe, Murmansk. Along the Northern Sea Route to the west of Yamal, cargo ships accompanied by ice drifts travel frequently - compared to the eastern section. The gas carrier mentioned at the beginning of the text (it is named after the head of Total, Christophe de Margerie, who tragically died in Moscow) was also traveling to Russia on a long road. From the Korean shipyard I reached the Belgian Zeebrugge. This port, by the way, will become a transshipment cargo base for Yamal LNG. Here, a test volume of gas was pumped into the tanker tank so that the crew could test it with it. ride quality already off the coast of Russia.
Northerners are already waiting for the start of construction of a second plant, identical in capacity. It is supposed to be mounted on offshore platforms near the Gydan Peninsula
The parameters of the Arc7 class vessel are impressive. It is almost the size of three classic football fields. The capacity of the tanks is 172 thousand cubic meters. This colossus, the designers assure, is capable of confidently cutting ice up to 2.1 meters thick in 50-degree frost.
In the waters of the Northern Sea Route, on a pilot vessel of a new series of gas carriers with the telling name "Yamalmax", in particular, control elements of a non-analog propulsion system are being tested. The construction of the Christophe de Margerie was financed by VTB at the request of Sovcomflot. The remaining 14 gas carriers are distributed between the Chinese-Japanese, Chinese-Greek and Chinese-Canadian consortiums of shipowners,” Sovcomflot representative Georgy Popov comments on the situation with the formation of the flotilla.
Meanwhile, another gas carrier was launched at a Korean shipyard in January. Based on news agency reports, each vessel will cost approximately $350 million.
Tankers will mainly travel from Sabetta in a westerly direction. In the east, through the Bering Strait, it was planned to send a fifth of the LNG produced - exclusively for summer-spring navigation. Drilling in winter is impossible without the constant support of powerful nuclear ice drifts. And they are in short supply, notes Mikhail Grigoriev, deputy director of the Institute of Permafrost Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, member of the academy’s scientific council on the problems of developing oil, gas and coal deposits. Even the Gulf of Ob is capricious and sometimes difficult to navigate. Not long ago, a nuclear-powered ship led a convoy of ships through treacherous drifting ice for almost three days. And this is for some hundred kilometers.
Encouraging news: the icebreaker "Arktika" is being completed and is expected to begin work in the Sabetta waters this year. Two more nuclear-powered ships - Sibir and Ural - were laid down at the shipyards of the Baltic Shipyard. They are all-rounders - capable of walking even in shallow water.
There are two views on the Northern Sea Route. Supporters of the first argue that it will never become profitable and no one will use it en masse, while supporters of the second argue that this is just the beginning: the ice will melt even more and let this one be the most profitable in certain circumstances. It seems to me that the latter are winning so far. It’s not for nothing that such topics are thrown about
The gas tanker Christophe de Margerie (shipowner PJSC Sovcomflot) successfully completed its first commercial voyage on August 17, 2017, delivering a shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) from Norway to South Korea.
During the voyage, the ship set a new record for crossing the NSR - 6.5 days. At the same time, the Christophe de Margerie became the first merchant ship in the world that was able to navigate the NSR without icebreaker support along the entire length of this route.
While crossing the NSR, the ship covered 2,193 miles (3,530 km) from Cape Zhelaniya on the archipelago New Earth to Cape Dezhnev on Chukotka - the extreme eastern mainland point of Russia. The exact transition time was 6 days 12 hours 15 minutes.
During the voyage, the ship again confirmed its exceptional suitability for working in high latitudes. The average speed during the passage exceeded 14 knots - despite the fact that in some sections the gas carrier was forced to go through ice fields up to 1.2 m thick. It is noted that the total duration of the voyage from Hammerfest (Norway) to Boryeong (South Korea) with using the Northern Sea Route was 22 days, which is almost 30% less than it would have taken to travel along the traditional southern route through the Suez Canal. The results of the flight allowed once again confirm the economic efficiency of using the Northern Sea Route for the transit of large-capacity vessels.
Christophe de Margerie is the world's first and so far only icebreaking gas carrier. The unique vessel was built by order of the Sovcomflot group of companies for year-round transportation of LNG as part of the Yamal LNG project. The vessel was put into operation on March 27, 2017 after successful completion of ice trials, which took place in the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea.
The gas carrier is capable of independently breaking through ice up to 2.1 m thick. The vessel has an Arc7 ice class - the highest among existing transport vessels. The propulsion power of the gas carrier is 45 MW, which is comparable to the power of a modern nuclear icebreaker. High ice-passing ability and maneuverability of the Christophe de Margerie are ensured by Azipod-type rudder propellers, while it became the first high-ice-class vessel in the world to have three Azipods installed at once.
The gas carrier is named after Christophe de Margerie, the former head of the Total concern. He played a key role in developing investment decisions and technological scheme of the Yamal LNG project and made a significant contribution to the development of Russian-French economic relations generally.
Sovcomflot Group of Companies (SCF Group) is the largest shipping company Russia, one of the world's leading companies in the maritime transportation of hydrocarbons, as well as servicing offshore exploration and production of oil and gas. Its own and chartered fleet includes 149 vessels with a total deadweight of more than 13.1 million tons. Half of the ships have an ice class.
Sovcomflot participates in servicing large oil and gas projects in Russia and the world: Sakhalin-1, Sakhalin-2, Varandey, Prirazlomnoye, Novy Port, Yamal LNG, Tangguh (Indonesia). The company's head office is located in St. Petersburg, with representative offices located in Moscow, Novorossiysk, Murmansk, Vladivostok, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, London, Limassol and Dubai.
sources
Loading...
