Aframax tankers fail to cut voyage time on Northern Sea Route to China

Two aframax tankers hauling Russian oil via the Arctic ‘shortcut’ have arrived in China after an ice-delayed voyage that failed to save time compared to a longer route via the Suez Canal.

Kpler tracking data showed that the ice-class vessels — the 111,000-dwt NS Arctic (built 2009) and 114,000-dwt Primorsky Prospect (built 2010) — arrived this week in northern China after travelling via the rarely-used Northern Sea Route (NSR).