The startup of “Yamal LNG”, records of navigation and course of sea ice extent. The Northern Sea Route Administration summed up the results of the year

The Northern Sea Route Administration summed up the results of activity of 2017. Thus, during the year permissions for navigation on water areas of the Northern Sea Route were given to 662 ships, including 107 ships navigating under foreign flags. Denial notifications were sent only to two ships, though later they received permissions. 

In total 9 million 737 thousand and 559 tonnes of different cargoes were transported last year on water areas of the Northern Sea Route by sea ships (without consideration of transit). River ships transported 797 thousand and 191 tonnes. Transit ships transported 194 thousand and 364 tonnes of cargoes, as it is informed in the press-service of the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport.
The record in speed of passing water areas of the Northern Sea Route by transit ships was registered last year. The ship “Baltic Winter” that went from the Chinese port of Taicang to the German port of Bremerhaven spent only 5.6 days for transit on water areas of the Northern Sea Route. Also it needs to mark increase in duration of winter navigation due to late navigation of ships in the eastern part of water areas of the Northern Sea Route. Navigation of the ships “Boris Vilkitsky” and “Fyodor Litke”, which entered the waters via the Bering Strait on the 13th of November and the 8th of December respectively, was the confirmation of it. Passage through the Northern Sea Route of the ship “Eduard Toll”, which entered the waters via the Bering Strait being the last on the 25th of December of 2017, also can be considered the record time.
The startup of the plant “Yamal LNG” built on the Yamal coast of the Gulf of Ob became a significant event of last year. Loading of liquefied gas to tankers – gas carriers of Sovcomflot from the seaport of Sabetta was started in December. Before that, during several years cargoes for construction of the plant and the port of Sabetta were delivered through water areas of the Northern Sea Route.
For navigation-hydrographic and hydro-meteorological informing of ship drivers fulfilling navigation on water areas last year the Northern Sea Route Administration published 78 East coastal warnings and 163 west coastal warnings, 247 synoptic forecasts and 260 analytical and prognostic ice charts for the four seas of the Northern Sea Route. Long-term ice forecasts were published on problematic areas and points.
Fast ice was not formed in Vilkitsky Strait during the whole winter. This phenomenon was marked among rare hydrological and ice processes and phenomena on water areas of the Northern Sea Route. During the summer navigation specialists noted large concentration of icebergs in the Strait and on its approaches, what created additional risks for ship drivers.
The general course of ice extent in the seas of the Northern Sea Route in 2017 differed from the previous years with earlier, on average on a half-month, beginning of process of thawing and purification of waters from ice but also with earlier beginning of ice formation. The course of sea ice extent in 2017 on water areas of the Northern Sea Route almost repeated indexes of 2015, although its minimum value, which falls usually on September, was then on 200 thousand square kilometers less than in 2017. The next summer minimum of ice extent in 4 million and 620 thousand square kilometers in the Arctic (North Polar Region) was observed on the 12th of September. It is the seventh minimum by its size during the observation period from 1978 to 2017. The Northern Sea Route Administration states that last year general ice conditions on water areas during the summer arctic navigation was favorable for navigation of ships.