PAO NOVATEK announced that the Arc7 ice-class Arctic LNG tanker "Christophe de Margerie" chartered by the Yamal LNG project successfully completed an independent passage along the Eastbound part of the Northern Sea Route ("NSR") on the 16th January at 20:20 MSK, having reached the Bering Strait in 11 days with an average safe speed of 9.6 knots. The "Christophe de Margerie" was subsequently followed by a similar LNG tanker "Nikolay Yevgenov", which is currently completing its independent passage along the NSR. Both LNG tankers will deliver approximately 140 thousand tons of LNG produced at Yamal LNG to destinations in the Asia-Pacific Region. The total time of cargo delivery by this route is 40% shorter than the traditional route through the Suez Canal. Simultaneously, another Arc7 ice-class LNG tanker "Nikolay Zubov", traveling in the opposite direction to the port of Sabetta after offloading its LNG cargo, entered the Westbound ice route along the NSR on the 6th January and subsequently reached the Ob Bay on the 17th January.