First Shipments of Yamal LNG to Start in November

The first two shipments of liquified natural gas (LNG) from the Yamal LNG project are scheduled to be transported in November, according to Russian customs service based in the Ural region.

The announcement was made following a meeting with the representatives of Yamal LNG and Novatek, the majority shareholder in the project.

The LNG cargoes will be exported from the Sabetta seaport.

Four more shipments are to follow in December, and it is planned that in 2018 up to 10 gas carriers would transport LNG from the project within one month.

The cargo from Yamal, which is based on the feedstock resources of the South-Tambeyskoye field located in the north-east of the Yamal Peninsula, would be transported via Arc7 ice-class LNG carriers being built for the project at DSME.

The 170,000 cbm carriers are aimed to enable year-round navigation without icebreaker support along westbound navigation routes and along the Northern Sea route during the Arctic summer.

Christophe de Margerie, the world’s first ice-class LNG tanker, became the first ship to dock at the Yamal LNG terminal at Russia’s port of Sabetta on March 30 after completing its ice trials.

The LNG tanker is also the first of fifteen new LNG carriers hired to work on the USD 30 billion Yamal LNG project in the Russian Arctic.

Following its delivery, the ship completed its first transit through the Northern Sea Route in July 2017.

Yamal LNG is aimed at developing the giant onshore South Tambey gas and condensate field with the construction of a liquefaction plant. Ultimately, close to 16.5 million tons of LNG a year are planned to transit through the port of Sabetta, built specifically for the project.

The shareholders of Yamal LNG are Novatek (50.1%), French Total (20%), China’s CNPC (20%), and the Silk Road Fund (9.9%).

World Maritime News Staff