Russia’s Zvezda Shipyard Delivers First Arctic Oil Tanker After 3-Year Delay, But Vessel Already Sanctioned by US

After years of trying to construct Arctic-capable oil and LNG tankers within Russia, the Zvezda shipyard in the Far East has, for the first time, succeeded in delivering a vessel.

The 69,000 dwt Arc6 ice-class Panamax shuttle tanker Valentin Pikul has been delivered to registered owner Rosnefteflot JSC. The vessel is now listed as “for orders” outside the Zvezda yard.

It is expected to shuttle oil from the Varandey offshore loading system, the world’s most northerly continuously operating oil terminal, in the Pechora Sea to the Murmansk transfer hub. 

Last week’s round of U.S. sanctions targets the flow of Russian oil from its three Arctic projects, Varandey, Prirazlomnoye, and Novy Port. The new measures…