X-BOW® vessel travelled the Northern Sea Route

This is the first known passage of a 3D seismic vessel along the Northern Sea Route, as Ulstein states. Her passage commenced on 15 September from Hammerfest in Norway after completion of seismic operations in the Barents Sea. After only nine days and 3,000 nautical miles the vessel reached Cape Dezhnev in the Bering Straits. She is presently continuing her onward passage to New Zealand to commence operations there.

‘Polarcus Alima’ is an ultra-modern 12-streamer 3D seismic vessel of the SX134 design, delivered from Drydocks World Dubai in March 2011. 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.

Preparations for the voyage were carried out in close cooperation with Tschudi Arctic Transit AS through its Russian - Norwegian JV company Arctic Bulk AG, Atomflot, and the Northern Sea Route Administration in Moscow.