NOVATEK is going in may to do a test sending LNG tankers from Yamal to the East through the Bering Strait directly into the Chinese market. According to MarineTraffic, the tanker Arc7 “Christophe de Margerie” is to deliver the LNG cargo to China until June 11. The Eastern part of the Arctic usually passable only in July and November. If the tanker will be able to deliver the cargo to China for 25 days, it will be the earliest passage of the Northern sea route in an easterly direction to Asia.NOVATEK early summer navigation season has started the supply of LNG from the plant “Yamal LNG” on the Eastern route. As follows from the data of marine traffic, tanker “Christophe de Margerie”, owned by “Sovcomflot”, left the port of Sabetta on may 18, but the output from the Ob he turned not to the West and to the East, the end point of the route — the Chinese port of Jingtang (Tangshan). The ship must be the Eastern route via the Bering Strait to reach the Chinese port for 25 days — until June 11. According to the matching coordinate, the tanker is accompanied by the nuclear icebreaker “Yamal”.This time of year tankers NOVATEK usually supply gas to China via the longer route around Eurasia through the Suez canal and the Strait of Malacca. Navigation via the Eastern route usually opens early July, and April and may from the point of view of ice conditions are considered the most difficult months for NSR navigation. In the summer the direct route to China is about 20 days, crawling through the Suez — about 36 days.In 2024, the company expects to use the Eastern route year-round using new nuclear-powered icebreakers LK-60. However, in the shipping industry there is considerable skepticism about the reality of year-round navigation in the area (with an acceptable commercial speed), although it is considered possible to extend the navigation period to nine months: from may to January.In 2019 with the project “Yamal LNG” in the East direction shipped approximately 1.2 million tons of LNG (6.5% of total production).”Delivery on the Northern sea route allow more than a third to reduce time of delivery of LNG in comparison with the supply on the traditional route through the Suez canal and the Malacca Strait,” the report said NOVATEK for 2019.”B” has sent requests to NOVATEK, Rosatom, Sovcomflot.Tatiana Woodpecker
