On 11 December 2018 the Arctic LNG carrier ‘Christophe de Margerie’, owned and operated by Sovcomflot (SCF), loaded the first batch of liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced on the third high-tech production line of the Yamal LNG project, at the Port of Sabetta on the Yamal Peninsula.
This has been achieved a year ahead of the initial schedule and within the original budget. The Yamal plant has now reached its full planned capacity of 16.5 million tons per year less than a year after the 1st shipment of LNG from the project in December 2017. Furthermore, this start-up occurs one week after Yamal LNG has shipped its one hundredth LNG cargo.
Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian Prime Minister, initiated the start of cargo operations via a video conference with the vessel’s Master, Sergey Zybko. The ceremony was attended by Dmitry Artyukhov, the Governor of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District; Leonid Mikhelson, Chairman & CEO of Novatek; Evgeny Ambrosov, Senior Executive Vice President of Sovcomflot; as well as representatives from Total, CNPC, and Silk Road Fund.
The Prime Minister congratulated Yamal LNG on reaching full production capacity and noted:
“This is a significant milestone for the entire Russian gas industry and, of course, for our international partners, and for international cooperation in the energy sector. For half a century, our country has been successfully cooperating with its European neighbors in the natural gas sector; now we are making forays into Asian markets. Yamal LNG is a significant confirmation of the reliability of our partnership with other states – in this case, with France and China. It is also important that Yamal LNG will stimulate the development of transnational infrastructure, initially of the Northern Sea Route – the transport corridor connecting Europe and Asia. I am confident that participation in this project, now completed in the Russian Arctic, and in a number of other major projects, opens up great opportunities for our foreign partners.”
Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of Total, commented:
“We are proud of the successful launch of all three LNG trains of the Yamal LNG project less than a year after the start-up of the plant. This constitutes an unprecedented achievement for the industry. The positive experience of Yamal LNG paves the way for further LNG developments alongside our strategic partner Novatek, including Arctic LNG 2, the next major development based on giant low costs resources in Russia’s far north.”
Named in honor of the former Total chief executive and chairman who tragically died in a Moscow air accident in 2014, the ‘Christophe de Margerie’ is one of a series of 15 ground-breaking ice-class ships designed to serve the Yamal LNG project, located deep in the Russian Arctic.
Other than Total’s naming connection, Total Lubmarine is also proud to have supplied the vessel with a range of lubes that answer the challenges of operating in freezing conditions on the Northern Sea Route. Thanks to its extensive industry knowledge and experience, Total Lubmarine was able to provide a range of lubes, including auxiliary synthetic products designed for deck equipment, which are able to cope with temperatures as low as -60C. With very low-temperature pour points coupled with anti-rust, excellent anti-wear and extreme pressure properties, Total Lubmarine’s Epona range of gear oils are designed to cope with the tough Arctic environment.
With the success of the ‘Christophe de Margerie’, Total Lubmarine looks forward to supporting Sovcomflot’s future ice-class endeavors.