18 December 2007

The 70000 dwt double acting Arctic tanker has been officially named at Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea. The Vasily Dinkov, Russia’s first ice breaking shuttle tanker, is one of a series of three vessels commissioned by Sovcomflot to transport crude oil from Arctic oil fields to Varandey terminal and Murmansk. All three vessels will be under time charter to Naryanmarneftegas, a Lukoil and ConocoPhilllips joint venture company.

The series of tankers including the additions of Kapitan Gotsk and Shurman Albanov, scheduled for delivery in April 2008 and March 2009 respectively, will be dual classed by ABS and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping with St Petersburg as their home port.

All three vessels will have ice-enhanced hull structures in compliance with LU6 (1A Super) ice-class. These vessels can operate in temperatures of minus 40°C and break up ice up to 1.7mtr density without the aid of an ice breaking shuttle escort.

The ships are equipped with two Azipod propulsion units with a total power output equivalent to 20mW and will also have a helicopter pad.

 

Naming of VASILY DINKOV, the first ice breaking shuttle tanker for Sovcomflot took place at Samsung Heavy Industries, Korea