Korean shipyard Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) held a steel cutting ceremony for the third ship ordered by Russian shipping company PAO Sovcomflot within the 42K Arctic Shuttle Tanker project.
The project comprises of a series of six oil tankers intended for oil transportation from Novoportovskoye field, situated in the north of Yamal peninsula, 30 km off the Gulf of Ob coast.
The propulsion unit with two Azipod azimuth thrusters and a special hull shape will enable the ships to operate year-round in harsh Arctic conditions.
The ships are constructed to dual class, Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) acting as the leading society.
The 42 000 DWT tanker will feature 232 m in length, 34 m in breadth and 9.5 m in draught.
Steel cutting and keel laying for all the six ships of the above series is scheduled to take place in 2015.
Completion of construction of the first ship, for which the steel cutting ceremony was held on 1 April 2015, is scheduled for June 2016.