News Brief by Kip Hansen — 11 September 2024 — 500 words
There is an interesting story from gCaptain – “the world’s leading maritime and offshore website, and we are dedicated to quality news and building an interactive community of maritime professionals.”
“In Desperate Move Russia Sends First-Ever Conventional LNG Carrier Through Arctic” by Malte Humpert — September 8, 2024. Why is it a “desperate move”?
“In a risky move aimed at overcoming Western sanctions Russian LNG producer Novatek dispatched the non-ice class LNG carrier Everest Energy onto the icy waters of the Northern Sea Route. It is the first time a conventional carrier has attempted the route.”
“The voyage represents a further escalation of the risk profile of Arctic shipping. Everest Energy does not hold a permit by Russia’s Arctic permitting authority, the Northern Sea Route Administration. It is also traveling under a suspended Palauan flag with its P&I insurance status unknown.”
If you know the name of a sea going vessel, you can almost always find information on the ship itself, and if you are willing to pay a small fee, its current location. For the Everest Energy we can look to MarineTraffic.com, which reports that, as of 8 days ago, she was underway north of Murmansk. gCaptain reports that she is now in the Kara Sea heading east.

Mid-September is certainly the right time to be attempting this passage in a non-ice classed vessel.

“Everest Energy is part of Russia’s emerging LNG shadow fleet first reported on by gCaptain in early August. It traveled to the Arctic LNG 2 project for a second time last week and departed late on September 6. It has since entered the Kara Sea traveling east towards Asia.”
Here the Arctic Sea Ice Concentrations animation for the last 90 days from the National Snow and Ice Data Center:

[to see the animation, click the arrow in the center or in the lower left corner]
That sanctioned LNG is now traveling up and over the length of Russia heading for markets in Asia. There seems there may be substantial ice still in the Eastern Siberian Sea — where ice breakers may be needed.
While we have that Arctic Sea Ice animation up, watch the other side, the Canadian Northwest Passage – while listening to the incredible Stan Rodgers sing his song by the same title [pick you music server below the title].
# # # # #
Author’s Comment:
Pretty gusty to take a vessel like the Everest Energy into ice country. I wish them luck.
If the planet would just warm up a little more, we could ease the traffic currently backing up at the Panama Canal.
Thanks for reading.
# # # # #
Related