Christophe de Margerie, an icebreaking LNG carrier owned and operated by SCF Group, has successfully completed a test call at NOVATEK’s Kildin Vostochny temporary anchorage transhipment complex off Kildin Island in the Barents Sea.

The successful test call and related operations at Kildin represents an important further step towards developing the logistics supporting Yamal LNG, as well as other prospective NOVATEK projects in the Russian Arctic.

The expectation is that the Kildin Vostochny anchorage will be used for open-water ship-to-ship transhipment of LNG from Arc7 LNG carriers to conventional LNG carriers, which will then transport the LNG further west. This will reduce the round trip times for Arc7 vessels, thereby increasing the efficiency of their operation.

Igor Tonkovidov, President and CEO of SCF Group, noted:

“SCF continues to take an active part in the development of infrastructure to provide efficient and safe logistical support to industrial projects in the Russian Arctic, which will help facilitate the growth of cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route. The crew of Christophe de Margerie have once again proved their ability to successfully carry off complex maritime operations. It is worth remembering that Christophe de Margerie was the first vessel to successfully berth at the Port of Sabetta’s LNG terminal on the Yamal Peninsula. She later transported the first cargo of LNG produced by the Yamal LNG plant, and recently became the first large-capacity cargo vessel to transit the full length of the Northern Sea Route eastbound in May, two months earlier than usual. I should like to thank the master of the vessel, Sergey Zybko, and the whole crew for their outstanding professional work during the test call at Kildin. My thanks also go to the crews of the support vessels and onshore personnel involved in this test call, especially our colleagues from Atomflot, Marine Rescue Service, Rosmorport, and the maritime administration of the Port of Murmansk.”