NSR Shipping Traffic – Activities in March 2022

In March 2022, navigation along the Northern Sea Route finally shifted to the western sector. There were several voyages in the eastern part in February, but this month there were no such passages at all. However, the figures have shown good shipping activity: 68 vessels completed 207 voyages during the month.

Among transport vessels, the majority of voyages were carried out by general cargo ships, container and bulk carriers, about the same number was made by LNG carriers and slightly less by oil tankers (see table on the map). The high activity of icebreakers this month should be noted. In March, difficult ice conditions developed, almost the entire Kara Sea was in the medium type of ice conditions.

*ice conditions on the table: 1 (green) – light, 2 (yellow) – medium, 3 (red) – heavy. Data source: NSR Administration.

6 nuclear icebreakers – 50 let of Pobedy, Arktika, Sibir, Taimyr, Yamal and Vaygach completed 47 passages at the NSR. The main routes: the Kara Sea (from Cape Zhelaniya) to the Ob Bay, from the Yenisey Bay to the Kara Sea and in the opposite direction, as well as work inside the Ob Bay. Also, 2 diesel icebreakers were involved – Admiral Makarov and Kapitan Dranitsyn, that completed 9 passages. Main routes: the Kara Sea – Sever Bay (Yenisey Bay), the Kara Sea.

As for the destination of voyages, the majority of them belonged to the Yamal LNG project – 52 voyages (including return ballast). 23 vessels with LNG were sent for export. The consignee countries were France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. 3 vessels shipped LNG for transshipment in the area of Kildin Island (Murmansk).

The second largest project in terms of voyages number was the export of oil products from the Arctic Gate terminal. 17 shipments were made from the terminal for the transshipment in the Kola Bay (Murmansk), the total number of voyages, including return, was 36.

The development of the Salmanovskoe field, the Yamal LNG-2 project, continues. Within the framework of this project, 25 voyages were recorded, 12 of them were aimed to the considered port point. 12 general cargo ships, bulk carriers, tankers and container ships, shipped project cargoes from Murmansk and Arkhangelsk.

The high navigation activity was observed in the Yenisey Bay. In addition to voyages associated with the activities of Norilsk Nickel company, 5 general cargo ships and 1 tanker departed for Dudinka. Also, within the framework of the Vostok Oil project (terminals Sever Bay and Tanalau), 5 vessels from Murmansk and Arkhangelsk arrived in the Yenisey Bay. Among them was the nuclear container vessel Sevmorput. On March 25, the crew of Sevmorput began unloading about 6,000 tons of general cargo on the fast ice of the Yenisey River. The approach channel to the ice berth for the nuclear container ship was made by the Vaygach icebreaker. This was the first voyage of Sevmorput as part of the largest hydrocarbon production project in the oil and gas industry. This was reported by the press service of Atomflot.