Ship-to-Ship LNG Transfer in Arctic Waters

Ship transport of LNG from shore-based LNG plants on the Yamal Peninsula will pass through waters with seasonal ice. A transport chain using specially designed ice-breaking LNG shuttle tankers is proposed. The shuttles will bring the cargo beyond the ice edge, where it will be transloaded to seagoing winterized LNG carriers. This paper looks at risks related to the operational phases of a side-by-side lightering operation. Climatic changes question the applicability of historic metocean data for locations identified as possible areas for open-sea ship-to-ship transfer of LNG in the eastern Barents Sea.