Vyborg Shipyard Lays Keel for Gazprom Nefts First Icebreaker

Vyborg Shipyard Russian shipbuilder Vyborg Shipyard, part of United Shipbuilding Corporation, laid the keel for the first of two icebreakers for Gazprom Neft on December 14, 2015. The icebreaking support vessel will boast maximum icebreaking capability and considerable manoeuvrability with comparatively shallow draught, the shipyard said. The vessels should be capable of operating continuously under the temperature as low as -50 С. It will feature three azimuth thrusters, located by a pair in the aft and a single unit in the fore part, enabling it to operate at maximum effect under harsh conditions. The two icebreaking vessels are designed to operate at the Arctic terminal of the Novoportovskoye field on the western bank of the Ob Bay, Yamal peninsula. The primary purpose of ships is escorting of tankers, assistance during mooring, loading, rescue operations, providing tugging assistance, firefighting, participation in oil spill response activities. Under the contract, the vessels are scheduled for delivery to Gazprom Neft by 2018.