NSR Shipping Traffic – Activities in July 2020

At the beginning of July, the summer navigation period began on the Northern Sea Route. In the first month of this period in 2020, 171 vessels made 299 voyages. Despite the fact that the number of voyages in July this year is almost the same as in July last year, a significant increase in the number of ships operating during this period can be observed – from 131 ships in 2019 to 171 this year. The highest activity belongs to tankers, general cargo ships, as well as LNG carriers.

Voyages by vessel type on the NSR in July 2020:

In July, drilling rigs – Nan Hai Ba Hao (operating in summer in the Kara Sea since 2018) – continued work at Leningradskiy licensed area belonged to Gazprom, Nan Hai Jiu Hao and Oriental Discovery (came only this year) – started their work at Vostochno-Prinovozemelskiy-1 and 2 licensed areas in the Kara Sea at the order of Rosneft. 14 hoppers and dredgers under the flags of Russia, Belgium and the Netherlands came to the Ob Bay to the work areas – the approaches to Novyy Port, Salmanovskoye field, the entrance to the bay itself. Although the work of some research vessels began in June, most others, due to their ice class (a bit more than half – 8 out of 14 – of operating research vessels have an ice class below Arc 4) arrived to the work areas only in July – Baydarata Bay, Kara Sea, Ob Bay, Yenisey Bay. “Mikhail Somov” delivered supplies for polar stations. Throughout the entire expedition, which will last not only in July, but also next month, 13 Roshydromet stations will be supplied. “Somov” will deliver fuel, food, medicines, equipment for aerological research, construction materials. Polar explorers will be changed. At the stations, in addition to material and technical support, specialists will update the software of automatic meteorological complexes and stations, carry out maintenance and repair of communication devices and power equipment.

As a result, such an active start of work of specialized vessels led to more active work of supply vessels. 22 vessels completed 32 passages, mainly in the direction of Murmansk – Kara Sea, Murmansk – Ob Bay and backward, there were also two supply voyages between port points in Siberian rivers. Most of the supply voyages (12) were operated under the Norwegian flag.

Voyages of supply vessels by flag on the NSR in July 2020:

Traditionally in July shipping activity starts in the Siberian rivers adjacent to the NSR. In total, river-sea vessels made 38 voyages. The ships delivered oil products and food to Nizhneyansk, Zelenyy Mys, Bykov Mys, Tiksi, Naiba and others within the framework of the Northern Delivery project.

4 vessels passed the Norther Sea Route by transit: 3 general cargo – “Barents”, “S.Kuznetsov”, “Nordic Svalbard” and 1 tanker – “Samson”. All 4 went in direction from west to east.

Vessel name	Departure port	Departure date	Arrival port	Arrival date	Number of days on NSR
Barents	Severodvinsk	17.07.2020	Bolshoy Kamen	07.08.2020	9.0
S.Kuznetsov	Belomorsk	20.07.2020	Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy	06.08.2020	10.2
Nordic Svalbard	Jossingfjord	21.07.2020	Vladivostok	12.08.2020	7.1
Samson	Arkhangelsk	27.07.2020	Bering Sea	07.08.2020	8.6