International Conference on Ship & Offshore Technology - Ice Class Ships

28th Sep, 2009 - 29th Sep, 2009

Busan, Korea

Vast reserves of oil and gas are expected to be exploited in the Russian Arctic, including the Barents Sea, the Pechora Sea and Kara Sea.  There are also new gas fields being developed on the Yamal Peninsula.  There is a need for large tankers, LNG carriers and associated support vessels to transport the oil and gas and maintain operations in these far northern locations.

Increasing numbers of passenger ships are also operating in low temperature environments.Vessels operating in the Arctic regions are exposed to a number of unique demands. The pressure of first year and multi year ice imposes additional loads on the hull, propulsion system and appendages. New designs have evolved such as the Double-acting principle. The extreme environmental conditions can also have significant effects on vessel systems and machinery.

Low temperatures and poor visibility can have profound effects on the crew and vessel operations. Current operational experience in the Arctic is limited to much smaller vessels than those that are envisaged. There is great probability that new owners and operators without operational experience in these harsh conditions will enter the market. This will impose a need for guidance for these owners and operators, as well as shipyards building vessels for cold weather service.

 

 

 

Source: http://www.rina.org.uk/ICSOT2009