RS Completes New Phase of LNG Carriers Training

Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) has carried out a new phase of surveyors training on classification services for LNG carriers.

The first phase (2008 to 2010) was carried out by RS in cooperation with American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and included a theoretical course for surveyors according to joint programme and a practical training on LNG carriers directed by qualified ABS mentors. This phase enabled to train 15 specialists. Currently, many of them are successfully performing classification and survey during the construction of LNG carriers at shipyards in South Korea.

In 2012 to 2013, due to predicted activity growth in design and construction of LNG carriers for procurement of large Russian projects on LNG production (Vladivostok LNG, Yamal LNG, etc.), another two training seminars on LNG transportation by sea were held for surveyors at the RS Training Center. Some competent highly-skilled RS experts have been involved in these seminars. In total, 51 persons successfully finished this theoretical training. Further on, during 2013 to 2014 the trained engineers proceeded to the yard STX Offshore and Shipbuilding in South Korea for on-site training on LNG tankers under construction. Currently, their training is successfully completed. Therefore, nowadays RS has sufficient (over 60 persons) number of highly-skilled experts in classification services during construction or operation of state of the art LNG carriers all over the world.

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Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) is an integral member of national expertise in LNG transportation by sea. It continues to extensively augment its potential in services for large Russian projects of LNG transport by sea. RS signed a number of agreements on strategic partnership with leading representatives of the industry, including Gazprom Marketing & Trading (GM&T), OAO United Shipbuilding Corp. (USC) and OAO Sovcomflot (SCF).

The agreements foresee interaction on designing, construction, classification and certification of ships including LNG tankers as well as on cooperation development of educational level of Russian seafarers, and implementation of innovative technical decisions in shipbuilding and safe navigation. It makes possible for RS to act in line with the state policy for increasing the share of Russian companies in national shipbuilding projects and to applying the knowledge and practice of the maritime industry all over the world.

Today, RS surveyors continue successfully carrying out survey of series of state of the art Atlanticmax LNG carriers (with membrane tanks of 170,000 cu m) at STX Offshore & Shipbuilding yard. The lead tanker of series – Velikiy Novgorod has been already delivered to the customer. Tankers Pskov, SCF Melampus, SCF Mitre are currently under construction. They are outfitted with the equipment designed for operation in low temperatures. It will allow their year-round LNG transportation from all the existing terminals.

Press Release, March 7, 2014; Image: RS