Gazprom Neft & Sovcomflot Partner on Northern Sea Route Efficiency

[By: Gazprom Neft]

Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov and Sovcomflot CEO Igor Tonkovidov have signed an agreement on collaborating in improving efficiency in Russian-Arctic maritime logistics under a document signed at this year’s Eastern Economic Forum. The companies’ partnership envisages the deployment of digital technologies and low-carbon-footprint marine fuels.

Gazprom Neft and Sovcomflot are to expand their use of digital technologies in Arctic maritime logistics management. Sovcomflot vessels, responsible for ensuring continuous year-round shipments of Arctic crudes from the Prirazlomnoye and Novoportovskoye fields, are now connected to the world’s first Arctic logistics management system – the “Kapitan” system, developed by specialists at Gazprom Neft. This digital navigation platform has helped cut specific transportation costs by up to 12% by selecting optimum routes, saving fuel, reducing icebreaker escort costs, and reducing empty-vessel downtime.

Other key areas covered by the agreement include decarbonising shipping transportation through the use of alternative marine fuels: LNG, hydrogen, ammonia and methanol. The companies are committed to testing promising environmentally friendly fuels on Sovcomflot’s existing tankers as part of their partnership. Russia’s first LNG-bunkering vessel, the Gazprom Neft-owned Dmitry Mendeleev, is expected to be deployed in refuelling ships with natural gas.

Alexander Dyukov, Chairman of the Management Board, Gazprom Neft commented:

“Sovcomflot is Gazprom Neft’s main maritime-logistics partner. Vessels owned by Russia’s largest commercial shipping operator transport more than eight million tonnes of Gazprom Neft Arctic blends every year. We are, already, using digital solutions in working with Sovcomflot and, under this new agreement, will be continuing to develop technologies together. Added to which, our plans to use liquid natural gas and other environmentally friendly fuels in refuelling vessels is going to ensure still greater environmental friendliness in Arctic shipping.”