An icebreaker at work near Sabetta
Arctic waters continue to open to shipping
Delivery of LNG module via Northern Sea Route shows potential for year-round LNG deliveries, Novatek says
The delivery of a module for Russian gas firm Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project in Russia’s far north marks another milestone for the opening up of the Northern Sea Route (NSR). Ice-class carrier the Audax transported the module from Tianjin in China to Murmansk this month with nuclear icebreaker support. It was “unique” for a vessel of that size to transit the entire NSR at this time of year, according to Novatek. And despite “challenging ice conditions”, the voyage’s success “testifies to the possibility of year-round LNG deliveries via the NSR to the Asia-Pacific region”, Novatek says. NSR voyages typically have to be completed between July and November, but are considerably quicker than oth
Also in this section
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally
