Korean ship-builders are to lay the third tanker's keel there on July 11, 2005.
These ships will carry Sakhalin oil from the Khabarovsk territory's De Castri port via the Tartar strait all year round. They will operate in adverse navigation conditions, thereby matching tough safety standards.
Each of the three tankers will displace 100,000 tons. They will conform to the 1A ice-navigation category in line with the DNV classification for the first time ever. In other words, these ships will match all Arctic-freighter standards.
The new tankers will feature state-of-the-art equipment making it possible to handle cargoes more quickly. Environmental safety will also be enhanced. With this in mind, the tankers will be fitted with ice-pressure gauges and additional scanners for monitoring ice thickness.
These tankers will be launched in August and September 2005, completing trial runs. It is intended to commission them in November and December 2005 at a 30-day interval.
