ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATIONS

Sea Route. The summer of 1993 saw the commence-

sions continued throughout the ensuing winter,

ment of sea trials for a FinnishRussian joint ven-

but the two sides still could not reach agreement

ture using a foreign vessel to supply Russian fuel

for the voyage to occur during the summer of 1994.

products to a Siberian destination.* A 16,000-dead-

An enterprising voyage carrying foreign goods

weight-ton (dwt) IA Super-class (the highest Finn-

aboard a Russian ship did, however, take place in

ish ice classification) tanker with a Russian ice pi-

the summer of 1993 (Davies 1993b). An SA-15

lot on board made three consecutive round-trip

owned by the Far Eastern Shipping Company suc-

voyages. The cargo was taken on at Arkhangel'sk

cessfully transported prefabricated housing mate-

and transported to the mouth of the Yana River in

rials for oil-field workers from New Westminster,

the Laptev Sea, a distance of approximately 2150

British Columbia, to Novvy Port on the Yamal Pen-

nm. It was then offloaded to shallow-draft vessels

insula.

for delivery to upriver destinations. Each round

Davies (1994) also reported on a transit in Sep-

trip required 1923 days to complete, which in-

tember 1993 that was arranged by a freight char-

cluded 23 days turnaround time. The 1993 sea-

tering company based in St. Michaels, Maryland.

son was estimated to be of 1-in-10-year severity in

The company chartered a Russian SA-15 to ship

terms of ice conditions. It was necessary at times

timber from Hamina, Finland, to several ports in

to break 3- to 5-m-thick pack ice in a 300-mile

Japan. The voyage took 28 days and saved nearly

section of the Laptev Sea beginning at Vil'kitskogo

0,000, according to a company executive. "We

Strait. Four nuclear-powered icebreakers, stationed

avoided the ,000 cost of using the Suez Canal

in the area to maintain a passage, assisted the

and reduced our transit time by 14 days with ship

tanker through this section, but the tanker was

costs that run about ,000 per day." He added,

under constant escort by Russian icebreakers only

"Based on our experience, I couldn't imagine it

from Dikson to the Khatanga River. The trial voy-

[the NSR] not becoming a major international ship-

ages were deemed successful, and the run became

ping route." Only one short section of ice in the

regularly established in the summer of 1994. It

Vil'kitskogo Strait between the Kara and Laptev

was recently reported that the Neste and Mur-

Seas required icebreaker assistance. Our source

mansk Shipping collaboration, known as Arctic

stated that the Russians did not charge them for

Shipping Services, now handles all deliveries of

icebreaking services (we presume because a Rus-

petroleum products along the Russian Arctic coast

sian ship was being escorted), but they are con-

(Anonymous 1994b). Although the Russians are

templating charging up to 0,000 for assisting

seeking foreign cargo and investment to employ

foreign ships.

their own idle container ships, Finnish tankers were

Even with the most up-to-date technology, the

required for this joint venture. There are, ironi-

Northern Sea Route sometimes presents unex-

cally, no ice-strengthened tankers in the Russian

pected challenges. As late as 1983, an early Octo-

fleet, as they were all distributed to other mem-

ber cold spell trapped approximately 50 ships in

bers of the CIS upon the breakup of the USSR.

several locations around the East Siberian and

In the United States, interest in the Northern

Chukchi Seas. Thirteen icebreakers were dis-

Sea Route is high in Alaska and the state of Wash-

patched to the scene to effect a massive rescue

ington (Weathersby 1990). The Department of

operation. By late November, the ships were freed

Commerce and Economic Development for the

(except for one that was crushed by ice), but 30

state of Alaska tried for two years to set up a dem-

suffered damage of varying degree (Armstrong

onstration shipment using Russian cargo ships to

1984, Barr and Wilson 1985). Each voyage into this

transport Alaskan goods such as fish, ore, timber,

region still presents a level of risk that will never

or coal to European markets. Unfortunately, nego-

be eliminated but will likely continue to diminish

tiations between Alaskan of ficials and the

with technological advances and increased opera-

Murmansk Shipping Company broke down, and

tional experience.

the trial voyage planned for the summer of 1993

failed to materialize. Davies (1993a) cited the ship-

ADMINISTRATION

ping company's inability to provide the ship type

AND REGULATIONS

and size needed for the Alaskan cargo. Discus-

Administration

From 1932 to 1953, the administration of the

Russian marine Arctic rested with the Chief Ad-

* J. Laapio, 1993, Neste Shipping, personal communi-

ministration of the Northern Sea Route (CANSR),

cation.