BBC reported today that Ob River, a large tanker carrying liquified natural gas, has left Norway in November and has sailed north of Russia on its way to Japan. The tanker is due to arrive in early December saving approximately 20 days of regular journey. According to the owners the changing climate conditions and a volatile gas market make the Arctic transit profitable.
The vessel is currently chartered by Russia’s Gazprom Marketing & Trading group and is operated by Dynagas. It took the company almost a year in order to make the appropriate preparations for the journey. The tanker was loaded with LNG at Hammerfest in the north of Norway and set sail across the Barents Sea. It has been accompanied by a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker for much of its voyage.
Officer of the Watch 
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