What Crew Members Say About Nikolay-Zubov

The latest addition to the world's Arctic shipping fleet, an Arc7 class liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, has commenced its sea trials near Geoje Island, South Korea, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. The vessel, named Nikolay Zubkov and previously designated as Hull DSME 2429, departed from Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering's (DSME) port on Tuesday. During its trials, it has navigated the Korea Strait in a zig-zag pattern. Historically, sea trials for Arc7 carriers have spanned several months. These specialized tankers are designed for Novatek’s Yamal LNG facility in northern Russia and possess the capability to traverse the Northern Sea Route, facilitating eastward trips to Asia in the summer and continuous westward routes to Europe throughout the year, without the need for assistance from ice-breaking vessels.