Interesting news from various sources on the first large tanker to transit Russia’s Northeast Passage through the Arctic.  The Barents Observer reports that the “100,000 tons tanker Baltica left Murmansk on Saturday loaded with gas condensate for China. This is the first time a high-tonnage tanker takes the Northern Sea Route from Europe to Asia.” The Barents Observer also reports, ” The tanker will be followed by the nuclear ice breakers “Rossiya”, “Taymyr” and “50 years of Victory”. The latter will have divers and specialists on oil spill clean-up as well as necessary equipment. “

Bloomberg reports that the ship is carrying 70,000 tons of gas concentrate and that the ship is being accompanied by two rather than three nuclear icebreakers.   It also quotes Keith Bainbridge, a partner in charge of gas at RS Platou LLP, questioning the economic justification for such a voyage, saying, “The fact that there are two icebreakers for a small ship would imply that there is no economic justification for the route, for condensate or LNG.”