Russian shipping company names Sakhalin-bound ice-breaking supplier

Russia’s shipping company Sovcomflot (SCF) named its newbuild ice-breaking supply vessel, built for the Sakhalin-2 project, on January 30, 2017.

SCF said on Tuesday that the vessel, named after a famous explorer Gennadiy Nevelskoy, was under a long-term agreement with Sakhalin Energy.

Sovcomflot and Sakhalin Energy signed an agreement in 2014 for the operation of additional four vessels for twenty years under the Sakhalin-2 project.

The vessels will be used for the year-round delivery of supplies and consumables to Sakhalin Energy’s three offshore platforms in the Sea of Okhotsk, and for performing standby duty near the platforms.

In the case of an emergency, the vessels will also be used for integrated environmental protection and rescue operations.

The vessel naming ceremony was attended by Sergey Frank, President and CEO of PAO Sovcomflot, and Ole Myklestad, Sakhalin Energy’s Production Director.

Also present at the ceremony was Vladimir Evenko, Chief Engineer and Director of Classification Department of the Russian Marine Register of Shipping which gave the vessel an ice class of Icebreaker 6.

Frank said: “Today, Sakhalin-2 operations are being serviced by eight Sovcomflot vessels, a number that we soon expect to increase to twelve. Adding Gennadiy Nevelskoy to our fleet enables us to strengthen Sovcomflot’s position as a global leader in the ice-breaking supply vessel class.”

Myklestad added: “Gennady Nevelskoy PSV was built in line with Russian and international maritime safety standards and is designed to operate successfully in the most challenging Arctic conditions.

“I am proud to tell you that over the next twenty years, she will make year-round supply runs, delivering equipment and materials to the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas platforms. Note that this multi-functional vessel can be used for emergency response purposes, further enhancing the safety of our operations.”

The vessel is being built by Arctech Helsinki Shipyard in Finland and, according to information available on Sovcomflot’s website, it is expected to be delivered on February 10.

As part of the Sakhalin-2 project, SCF Group today already operates three platform supply vessels (SCF Endeavour, SCF Endurance, and SCF Enterprise), three Aframax crude oil shuttle tankers (Zaliv Aniva, Sakhalin Island, and Governor Farkhutdinov), and two LNG carriers (Grand Aniva and Grand Elena), both operated together with Japan’s NYK Line.

All the vessels are operated under long-term time charter contracts with Sakhalin Energy.