Novatek begins LNG STS ops in Murmansk

Russia’s largest independent natural gas producer and LNG operator, Novatek started ship-to-ship LNG transshipment operations near the port of Murmansk.

These operations have previously been performed in the area near the port of Honningsvag in northern Norway.

Novatek completed, what is claimed to be Russia’s first ship-to-ship bunkering in the Kildin Strait of the Barents Sea.

The Arc7 ice-class LNG tanker Nikolay Yevgenov reloaded an LNG cargo delivered from the Yamal LNG facility at Sabetta to the conventional tanker Yamal Spirit.

The ship-to-ship transfer was conducted at a temporary LNG Offshore Transshipment Complex in the Murmansk region within the seaport of Murmansk.

The LNG Transshipment Complex will ensure uninterrupted year-round LNG transshipment from the ice-class tankers carrying LNG produced in the Russian Arctic to conventional LNG tankers, Novatek said in its statement on Wednesday.

The ship-to-ship transshipment complex in the Murmansk Region represents another significant milestone in developing Novatek’s LNG supply chain from the LNG facilities located in the Russian Arctic to the global natural gas-consuming markets, the company said.

The creation of the transshipment infrastructure allows the company to develop its internal competencies to perform LNG transshipment in Russia, as well as optimizing the Arctic tanker fleet.