GeoView User Achieves Significant Transit Savings
2011-10-07
The modern 12-streamer 3D seismic vessel POLARCUS ALIMA has achieved a significant first in the seismic industry, having successfully transited to Asia-Pacific via an ice-free passage of the Northern Sea Route (NSR).
The vessel, built with the Norwegian company Ulstein's X-Bow design, has as the first of its kind succcessfully completed a groundbreaking journey through the North Sea Route (NSR). The ship holds an ICE-1A class, which is required to travel through the NSR.
Below is an extract from the Polarcus home page regarding this significant milestone:
Her passage commenced on 15 September from Hammerfest in Norway after completion of seismic operations in the Barents Sea, taking her on a 3,000 nautical mile route along the northern coast of Russia to Cape Dezhnev in the Bering Straits.
POLARCUS ALIMA is presently continuing her onward passage to New Zealand to commence operations expected to run for up to 7 months in total. The voyage was made possible in part due to the vessel's Arctic-ready capabilities, a unique feature of the Polarcus fleet in the seismic industry. Under the Russian Federation's 1990 Regulations for Navigation on the Seaways of the Northern Sea Route, vessels making the passage are required to hold an ICE-1A or higher ice class.
The expected time savings in transit between Norway and New Zealand compared to the traditional route through the Panama Canal amounts to some eight days. The savings versus the Suez Canal, a necessity for some larger seismic vessels, amounts to thirteen days. The passage via the NSR therefore presents significant time-related benefits for Polarcus and its clients.
This is the first known passage of a 3D seismic vessel along the Northern Sea Route.
Polarcus utilises GeoView WMS as part of their seismic planning operations. GeoView WMS enables the display of the same ENC chart background on-board vessels and in the back-office planning centrals. This provides all involved parties with a constant reference basis on official charts, supporting efficient decision-making and safety at sea.