Guidelines promised for Arctic gas transport

11-Apr-2008

Rules are to be developed which will offer guidance on shipping gas in icy conditions.

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has announced that it is to jointly develop classification rules for Arctic liquefied natural gas (LNG) Carriers in cooperation with the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS).

Roger Basu, director of ABS corporate research & product development, explained that the decision to provide guidance followed the realisation that gas transport from the Arctic regions of Russia is likely to increase in the near future.

The ABS is to investigate in what conditions it would be permissible for carriers to operate in heavy ice.

Vladimir Evenko, RS vice-general director, said: "Safe operation of large LNG carriers in the Russian Arctic is a very complicated and challenging issue, with a number of technical, functional, legal and environmental aspects to be duly addressed."

Recently, the ABS was one of a number of organisations which jointly completed a study into the structural integrity of cargo containment systems in response to different ice impact scenarios.

It reported that this study was a milestone for advancing Arctic LNG transport.

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