Big oil from Baltic ports bypassed Europe: EADaily

The primary tanker, loaded with Russian oil in a Baltic port, set sail on the Northern Sea Route this season. The shorter path to Asia saves time and prices however has proved harmful for some oil tankers prior to now 12 months.

The tanker Viktor Bakaev, which is beneath direct US sanctions, was loaded with oil in Primorsk and headed for Asia by way of the Northern Sea Route, the shortest route. In keeping with the ships’ AIS information, the ship left the Baltic port on July 21, and right this moment, July 29, the tanker was crusing within the Barents Sea reverse the Russian coast.

The ship doesn’t point out its closing vacation spot, however it appears probably that it will likely be China. “Viktor Bakaev” can carry 118 thousand tons of oil and, judging by the draft of 13.6 meters out of 14.6 meters, it’s nearly absolutely loaded.

The vessel was the primary giant tanker to sail on the Northern Sea Route final season. “Viktor Bakaev” has an ice class Ice2. However, clearly, in probably the most tough areas icebreakers will accompany it. The tanker will meet the primary ice within the Kara Sea, however the circumstances could be the thinnest within the East Siberian and Chukchi Seas, judging by information from the Northern Sea Route ice maps revealed by Rosatom.

“Glavsevmorput” granted permission to “Viktor Bakaev” for crossings on the Northern Sea Route from July 29 to October 31.

If the transportation of Arctic oil alongside the NSR is conventional, final 12 months uncooked supplies from the Baltic ports additionally glided by the shortest route. At the moment, the tankers Primorsky Prospekt and NS Arctic had been already crusing on the Northern Sea Route from Ust-Luga and Primorsk. In whole, in 2023, 14 shipments with a complete quantity of about 11 million barrels had been transported on the shortest path to China.

Navigation for Arctic oil started late this 12 months, in accordance with the vessels’ AIS information. The Northern Sea Route reduces the voyage time by a 3rd and will take a month as an alternative of a month and a half, which is spent on transit round Europe and thru the Suez Canal. Nonetheless, within the first 12 months of launching the supply of Russian oil and LNG from Baltic ports to Asia by way of the Arctic route, not all the pieces went easily. Two of the six oil tankers crusing from the Baltic, NS Arctic and Primorsky Prospekt, needed to cease for six days within the East Siberian Sea and divert whereas they waited for an icebreaker on due to the ice circumstances.

It’s not identified if the delay in Russian oil transport on the Northern Sea Route is said to this. For instance, NS Arctic and Primorsky Prospekt are situated in Murmansk, however they haven’t began but. A minimum of in accordance with AIS information.

As reported EADaily , “Sturman Ovtsyn” started crusing the Northern Sea Route amongst oil tankers. The ship with a small capability (as much as 41 thousand tons of uncooked supplies) is crusing from Murmansk to Chinese language Rizhao, the place it ought to arrive on August 18. An Arctic shuttle tanker got here to Wrangel Island and, judging by the route, needed to go across the ice fields.

Additionally from Murmansk is the tanker Mikhail Ulyanov, which might carry as much as 70 tons of oil. The ship goes to the port of Vostochny close to Nakhodka and previous the Vilkitsky Strait, getting into the Laptev Sea.

After the EU banned Russian oil imports and, along with the G7, launched worth ceilings for third international locations, China and India grew to become the principle recipients of Russian crude . Final Might, the Normal Director of Rosatom stated Alexei Likhachev that the state company, along with Russian firms, is engaged on the problem of redirecting Russian oil from Baltic ports to the Northern Sea Route because the most secure and most engaging route.

“The embargo imposed by European international locations on the provision of Russian oil and petroleum merchandise was not solely a problem, but in addition opened a brand new window of alternative for the emergence of an extra cargo base on the Sea Route. North. Because of the Northern Sea Route, it was potential to maneuver a lot of the transport maritime exercise from the West to the East,” – stated the top of the state company at a gathering with the president.