Without the assistance of an icebreaker, the vessel sails along the Northern Sea Route.

On January 6, the LNG tanker Nikolay Yevgenov left Sabetta and is expected to arrive at the Chinese port of Jingtang on January 28th. As the tanker slowed to about 3 knots, she was completing an independent passage along the NSR entering the Bering Strait.

According to the Russian media outlet Kommersant, tanker had an unspecified problem with one of its three engines, the Azipods. Sources suggested to the media outlet that the Azipod may have been damaged and would need repair, while others claimed it could be a software issue that an engineer could address. They speculated that the vessel's arrival in China would be delayed.

With the government strongly encouraging the shipping companies to extend the use of the road, Russia has been promoting the benefits of the NSR. The navigation season in the Eastern part of the Arctic had previously ended in November, but NOVATEK announced this year that they would be testing late season voyages.

With the government strongly encouraging the shipping companies to extend the use of the road, Russia has been promoting the benefits of the NSR.

The navigation season in the Eastern part of the Arctic had previously ended in November, but NOVATEK announced this year that they would be testing late season voyages.

Christophe de Margerie, the first of the LNG tankers, departed the Yamal facility on January 5, followed by Nikolay Yevgenov a day later.

On 16 January, Christophe de Margerie completed an independent passage along the eastbound portion of the NSR, having entered the Bering Strait with an average safe speed of 9.6 knots in 11 days.

Maritime Business World