Lukoil’s new icebreaker heads towards Arctic
The Keppel Singmarine shipyard has completed the construction of Russian oil major Lukoil’s second icebreaker. The vessel named “Varandey” will assist Lukoil with it oil shipment operations east in the Barents Sea.
The “Varandey” will be the company’s second icebreaker based in the port of Varandey in oil-rich Pechora Sea. The first icebreaker, the “Toboy”, was handed over to the company in August this year, Murman.ru reports with reference to a company press release.
The icebreaker will be able to operate in 1,7 meter thick ice. The vessels will be operated by subsidiary company Lukoil-Kaliningradmorneft.
Lukoil, Russia’s second biggest oil company, will use the icebreaker in connection with the shipping of oil from the Varandey port, a key site for the company’s export of oil from the Timan-Pechora province.
The port was officially opened this fall. The port has a terminal point located 23 km off the coast of the shallow Pechora Sea. The port is connected with a pipeline to the nearby big Yuzhno-Khilchuyu field.
The contracts between Lukoil and Keppel Singmarine had a cost frame of 260 million USD, the ship yard informs in a press release (2006)
