March Recap
What can the "Polar Silk Road" do for the Arctic; Chinese polar science network expands; and more
Photo: Li Chaoliang. The writing on the window reads: “天健行北极,丝路谱新曲 (The Tian Jian sails the Arctic, writing a new chapter for the silk road).”
Politics
Senior researcher discusses the future role of China’s “Ice Silk Road”
Zhang Yao 张耀, senior researcher at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies (SIIS) and director of its Center for Maritime and Polar Research, has written an opinion piece for the Jiefang Daily 解放日报. With the inquiring title “Whether the ‘Polar Silk Road’ can stake out a new direction for Arctic cooperation,” Zhang introduces China’s Polar Silk Road project against the backdrop of an increasingly uncertain and conflicted Arctic.
The Arctic region has often been characterized by high levels of interstate cooperation, despite shaky geopolitics elsewhere in the world. At the core of Zhang’s article is the argument that, amidst (re)emerging geopolitical fissures and regional institutional shortcomings, China’s Arctic foray under the “Polar Silk Road” banner—or Ice Silk Road as he calls it—constitutes a silver lining for cooperation in the region. It positions China as a potential partner that is relatively unencumbered by regional geopolitical concerns. This latter point echoes observations made by the director of the Polar Maritime Research Center at Dalian University, Li Zhenfu 李振福, in February this year, who emphasized China’s role as an economic partner and financier for development projects in the Arctic. Zhang concludes his article by stating that:
“The ‘Ice Silk Road’ is an open initiative; abandons geopolitical thinking; promotes the concept of win-win cooperation; and is able to seamlessly integrate with the development plans of partner countries. What the ‘Ice Silk Road’ espouses is inclusive cooperation that can run in parallel with any existing cooperative mechanisms that the partner state may have. With geopolitical conflicts re-emerging in the Arctic and regional governance mechanisms facing new difficulties, the “Ice Silk Road” initiative and the agreements already built within its framework could just as well be seen as a silver lining in Arctic cooperation—and perhaps even as a new direction for Arctic governance in the future.”
Zhang argues that the current governance model in the region is showing its flaws in the face of growing geopolitical tensions between the Arctic states, and tensions brought on by an increasingly globalized Arctic—this, Zhang characterizes as a “bottleneck.” The region is lacking mechanisms for international cooperation that are sufficiently “representative” and “authoritative.” He illustrates this problem by pointing at the inability of the Arctic Council—so far the most inclusive institution in the region—to evolve past its role as an intergovernmental forum and take on more coordinating functions in regional governance.
A second factor, he argues, is the introverted behavior of Arctic states that makes it difficult for non-Arctic states to come in from the outside and have their concerns heard.
He identifies globalization as the general impetus for the development of resources and waterways in the Arctic. However, a tumultuous decade for the international economy; the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea and subsequent sanctions; and recent populist movements across Europe and North America have, according to Zhang, sapped some of the energy to pursue cooperation in the Arctic and exacerbated the institutional weaknesses in regional governance. To contrast this, Zhang recounts the establishment of the Polar Silk Road partnership between China and Russia and Chinese growing diplomatic and economic ties with Finland, Iceland, and Norway.
As a counter to this optimism, last month, U.S. officials revealed that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was planning to attend the Arctic Council meeting that is to be held in Finland this May. The anonymous official told Reuters that:
“We want to show that we are committed to being an Arctic nation, an Arctic power . . . Chinese action has really focused everyone’s minds, including the Russians.”
Don’t believe the hype: Also in the Jiefang Daily, former director of the China Meteorological Administration 中国气象局, Qin Dahe 秦大河 has contributed an article where he points to the net negative consequences of an ice-free Arctic. In the article titled “An ice-free summer is not a good thing,” he, like Zhang, identifies an Arctic that is—both climatically and politically—heating up. Unlike Zhang, however, Qin—who is an expert in cryospheric science—chooses to highlight the global ramifications of a shrinking cryosphere.
While concerned with global warming more broadly, about the Arctic in particular, Qin states that as the Arctic sea ice cover continuous to retreat as a result of human-induced global warming, questions concerning Arctic shipping are coming to the fore. The opening of the various waterways in the Arctic Ocean “will be of enormous benefit to all countries,” Qin concedes, but the same waterways “will also bring with them a host of geopolitical problems.”
Qin concludes his article by appealing to natural and social scientists alike to join forces in order to better tackle the myriad problems that are emerging with climate change. A precedent that has already been set by the generally productive international science cooperation found at both poles.
National People’s Congress announces work on national Antarctic law
During this year’s Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the annual mega-meet-up of Chinese policymakers, interest groups, and industry experts, a member of the Environmental Protection and Resource Conservation Committee 环资委 of the National People’s Congress made known that work had started on drafting a national environmental law for the Antarctic.
This confirmation came after previous discussions on incorporating the 1998 Protocol on Environment Protection to the Antarctic Treaty—otherwise known as the Madrid Protocol—into national law. Upon questions from journalists during a press conference, committee member Cheng Lifeng 程立峰 replied that a national law for the Antarctic has become necessary as China expands its footprint on the frozen continent. “The Antarctic is receiving central-level attention,” he stated, “and Xi Jinping 习近平 has on several occasions emphasized the strategic importance of the region.” Reiterating the mantra of “knowing the Antarctic, exploiting the Antarctic, and protecting the Antarctic [认识南极,利用南极,保护南极],” Cheng noted that the legislative initiative was to be expected as China, being a signatory to the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, is growing to be a more active and responsible stakeholder in the region.
Science and academia
China's 35th Antarctic expedition concludes as the Xue Long returns to Shanghai
Chinese polar scientists returned home on March 12, marking the end of the country’s 35th science expedition to the southern continent. The expedition, which lasted 131 days and covered over 30,000 nm, conducted marine surveys in the Amundsen Sea and undertook aerial remote sensing observations on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.
After days of battling sea ice, the Xue Long 雪龙 research vessel unloaded over 1,600 tonnes of cargo at the Zhongshan Station 中山科考站 near Prydz Bay in the eastern Antarctic.
At the Taishan Station 泰山科考站, the expedition constructed new facilities totaling 300 sqm below snow cover, and made expansions to the station’s heating, energy generation, and waste management facilities.
The expedition also conducted its first Antarctic krill single-season survey. The study was undertaken on board the Xue Long in the East Amundsen Sea as part of a larger international effort. The survey found evidence indicating that there might be krill breeding grounds in areas around the Norwegian-claimed Peter I island.
This year’s expedition also flaunted China’s newfound aerial capabilities in the Antarctic with its new fixed-wing Xue Ying 雪鹰 601 (Snow Eagle) aircraft. The polar aircraft executed take-offs and landings at both the Taishan Station and the Kunlun Station 昆仑科考站 (Photos from the expedition can be found here.)
Most publicized, however, was the ship’s encounter with an iceberg on their homeward journey. The Xue Long struck an iceberg while navigating the Amundsen Sea, displacing 250 tons of ice onto the ship’s deck and breaking its mast. A crew member recording with this camera out of a bow-facing window accidentally captured the collision (photos inside). The crew suffered no injuries.
Harbin Institute of Technology becomes UArctic member, unveils Arctic Learning Center, and Opens Polar Simulation Experiment Base
Harbin Institute of Technology 哈尔滨工业大学, a major universities in China’s northernmost Heilongjiang province, has become a member of the University of the Arctic (UArctic) network, where it joins a growing list of Chinese universities and research institutes.
In connection with its inauguration as a member institution, Harbin Institute of Technology unveiled its Polar Academy 极地研究院, a constellation of research centers running the gamut from polar biology to cold regions engineering and transportation technology, as well as a training center jointly established by the university and UArctic in order to facilitate greater cooperation between Arctic and non-Arctic knowledge centers. The university is also hosting a international summer school for undergraduate students, with courses on Arctic environment and ecology.
Heilongjiang is one of the few places in China with a subarctic climate, located just below the continuous permafrost line that characterizes the Russian Siberia to its north. Famous for its ice festival and other wintry attractions, the province is also home to the training grounds of the country’s polar program.
Now, Harbin Institute of Technology together with the province’s meteorological bureau, has launched the Polar Simulation Experiment Base 极地模拟实验基地. A statement by the bureau lists “polar atmospheric, environmental, and ecological data” along with “ data on permafrost and transportation in polar conditions” as within the base’s research purview. The base is linked with the above-mentioned Polar Academy.
The location of the base is near the city of Mohe 漠河. The city receives tourists for its polar-like environment, with polar days in the summer and an unlikely chance to observe the aurora borealis in the winter. For many of the same reasons, the area is conducive to simulating polar conditions and acts as a mesocosm for conducting polar-like experiments.
Second Arctic Studies Forum held at Liaocheng University
Scholars from across China and abroad attended the second iteration of the Arctic Studies Forum 北冰洋研究高端论坛 at Liaocheng University 聊城大学 in northern Shandong province. The forum was organized under the university’s newly established Arctic Studies Center 北冰洋研究中心. The center was founded late last year as part of China's growing commitment to collaborations in the humanities and social sciences in the Arctic.
The first Arctic Studies Forum was held prior to the center's opening last year, under the header "International Study of Shamanism in Cold Regions." Anthropology, ethnology, and the study of religion stand as the main fields for the nascent center. This year’s gathering focused on the study of Chinese near-Arctic peoples and work was presented on the Evenki people 鄂温克族, pastorals who have historically herded reindeer in China’s northeast and much of the Siberian taiga.
Qu Feng 曲蜂, director of the center, have previously said that while today’s “Polar Silk Road” revolves around shipping and infrastructure, he and his colleagues are interested in “the ancient ‘Polar Silk Road.’ The cultural connection between China and Alaska.”
Already the center has created collaborative ties with several North American and European research institutions and is now seeking membership in the above-mentioned UArctic network.
China’s Meteorological Administration approves the establishment of a Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and Polar Meteorological Research Institute
Recently, China’s top meteorological authority greenlit a tri-polar research institute 青藏高原与极地气象科学研究所. While information remains scarce, the new institute will synthesize Chinese experience and infrastructure in alpine and polar research and utilize the growing network of Chinese meteorological observatories both in its domestic alpine region and in the polar regions.
The National Meteorological Administration recently published their blue book on climate change. In it, glacial retreat in Xinjiang and higher and longer temperature peaks on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau appear as two of the most immediate domestic threats posed by the warming climate.
Shipping and shipbuilding
China’s new polar icebreaker slated to join this year’s Antarctic expedition in November, polar sea trials scheduled for July
A senior representative from China’s Polar Research Institute (PRIC) has revealed to China Ocean News that Xue Long 2, the country’s new polar research icebreaker, will take part in the 36th science expedition to the Antarctic this year. The ship, designed in partnership with Aker Arctic, was launched last year and have since undergone sea and equipment trials. When it is handed over to PRIC, it will be China’s most advanced polar asset and a state-of-the-art oceanographic research vessel. Statements following the ship’s launch indicated initially that the handover would take place in time for the country’s 10th Arctic expedition in July. Now , however, it seems that delays have caused it to instead be pushed back to the next expedition southward, scheduled for November.
The ship entered the Jiangnan Shipyard 江南造船厂 docks once again on March 28 where outfitting will be completed. Final sea trials are scheduled for July, which will take the icebreaker to polar waters to test its icebreaker abilities.
With the new ship, China operates two polar-capable research vessels. According to the above statement, the addition of a second icebreaker alongside the first Xue Long has come to accentuate the shortage of qualified seafarers for polar voyages. However, as of late March, 31 seafarers had applied for the November voyage. The Xue Long 2 can take on a full crew of 90.
Institutional changes and new tender issued as work on nuclear-powered icebreaker(s) moves forward
Last summer saw China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC) 中核集团 call for tenders for technical consultancy services for the project to build a “nuclear-powered comprehensive icebreaker demonstration project.”
Speculations have intensified as CNNC’s counterpart, China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) 中国广核集团 issued their own tender for an “experimental ship platform.” The sparingly-named project has again drawn attention to China’s apparent push to develop its first nuclear-powered surface vessels. The project is thought to be a nuclear icebreaker as its dimensions somewhat resemble those of various Russian icebreakers either in service or under construction today. Others have linked the development of Chinese nuclear icebreakers with its navy’s stated goal of developing its first nuclear aircraft carrier.
According to the description of the project, the vessel will be 152 meters long, 33 meters wide, with a 8.32 meter draught and a roughly 30,000 tons displacement. It will employ two 25MW pressurized water reactors. Compare this with the Russian Sibir icebreaker launched in 2017: 173.3 meter in length, 34 meter wide, a draft of 10.5 meters, a displacement of 33,540 tons, and is powered by three 20MW pressurized water reactors.
However, a significant discrepancy is found in the designed speed, as the proposed Chinese project describes a top speed of 11 knots while contemporary Russian icebreakers hold a max speed of 18 to 22 knots. Additionally, one of the requirements is that the planned vessel possesses dynamic positioning capabilities that satisfy a DP1 notation (DP1 is used by China Classification Society and equals an IMO Equipment Class 1 notation). Dynamic positioning is predominantly used by drillships, oceanographic research vessels, or other ships that need to maintain a fixed position for various operations at sea. Note also that the CNNC tender last year did explicitly designate the project as an icebreaker. Last month’s tender, however, makes no mention of either vessel type, icebreaking capabilities, hull requirements, nor ice class.
News on the nuclear icebreaker announced last summer, however, remain sparse. In early March, CNNC reported that the newly organised Research Institute for Nuclear-Powered Vessels and Maritime Equipment 中国核动力船舶与海洋装备研究院 was now officially opening in Shanghai. The opening took place following the first meeting between the center’s three partners, CNNC, Shanghai Jiaotong University, and Shanghai Nuclear Electric 上海市核电办. The new institution is managed collectively by all three parties through a council, and as stated in CNNC’s announcement, “represents a new model in state-university-private enterprise integration.”
The research center is the first materialization of the strategic partnership established between CNNC and Shanghai Jiaotong University last August. Jiaotong University, which houses several high-level laboratories both in naval architecture and nuclear engineering, was awarded the contract to offer technical consultancy services on the nuclear icebreaker project.
Moreover, during the 13th CPPCC this March, director of the Nuclear Power Institute of China 中国核动力研究设计院, Luo Qi 罗琦 suggested that CNNC set up a demonstration project for a floating nuclear power plant in the Bohai Sea, northern China. Similarly, it was announced at a nuclear energy supply chain conference last November in the shipbuilding city of Yantai 烟台, which borders the southern Bohai Sea, that a project to build a floating nuclear reactor was in the early stages of development with a 2021 estimated launch date. The planned vessel was described as being able to provide power to “islands, offshore installations, as well as to polar and other remote locations.”
Finally, the Wuhan Second Ship Design Research Institute 武汉第二船舶设计研究所 (more commonly known as the 719 Institute) recently signed a contract with Taiyuan Heavy Industries 太原重工 for the manufacture of reactor pressure vessels for a “maritime nuclear propulsion platform demonstration project.” The 719 Institute bas historically been the country’s principal research institute for nuclear propulsion and have been involved with the development of the country’s nuclear submarine fleet.
Chinese high seas fishing company to acquire country’s first Antarctic krill fishing and processing vessel
Ningbo Ouya Ocean Fishing Company 宁波欧亚远洋渔业 has signed a contract with Wuhan Ship Design and Research Institute for the design of what will be the country's first domestically designed and built krill fishing and processing vessel for Antarctic operations. The planned vessel, named Yong Li 永利, will be designed with a displacement of 19,000 tonnes and is stated to employ advanced equipment such as a continuous pumping system, which will allow it to process up to 800 tonnes of krill daily and have an 80,000 tonnes annual fishing capacity.
Ningbo Ouya already operates a fleet of seven fishing vessels in the South Pacific Ocean; however, the Yong Li will be China's first purpose-built fishing vessel for Antarctic waters and “its design and construction will have great significance for the future of China's polar fishing fleet.”
During the 2018 Norwegian state visit to China, Norwegian Aker Biomarine, the world's largest krill fisher, signed a MOU with the China Overseas Development Association 中国产业海外发展协会, stating that the Norwegian company's newest fishing support vessel would be built at a Chinese shipyard. This March saw Aker Biomarine place an order with CIMC Offshore 中集来福士海洋工程 for a Wärtsilä-designed krill transportation ship to be delivered in 2021.
Last year, China National Fisheries Corporation (CNFC) 中国水产有限公司 along with other actors of the several other major krill fishing nations, agreed to stop fishing the small crustaceans in large sections of Antarctic waters.
Looking at China's krill fishing sector, China Ocean Dialogue has pointed out China's challenge of balancing fisheries and environmental protection in the Antarctic. Recent industry plans for the fishing sector have set out goals for upgrading its krill fishing capacity. At the same time, the country's 2017 Antarctic policy paper stresses the importance of environmental protection and sustainability (see also item 2 in this newsletter). The sustainable management of Antarctic fisheries will determine how 永 (lasting) its 利 (benefit) will be.
China’ newest “universal survey vessel” set for mid-2019 sea trials
Touted as China’s most modern survey ship to date, the Da Yang 大洋号 is currently being outfitted at its home port in southern Guangzhou. The ship, 98 meters long and 17 meter wide, is designed with a DP1 dynamic positioning system. And with a displacement of 4,780 tonnes, is the latest addition to China’s growing fleet of surveying and research vessels. Although no direct statements have been about the ship’s polar operations, it has nonetheless received a B3 ice class notation from the China Classification Society. This is equivalent to a Polar Class (PC) 7 or 6 classification, allowing the vessel to operate independently in light ice conditions. The ship has therefore been celebrated as China’s “first global survey ship” as it can navigate all five oceans.
The ship was built by Huang Wenchong Shipyard 黄埔文冲船舶有限公司 in southern Guangzhou and will be handed over to the China Ocean Mineral Resource R&D Association 中国大洋矿产资源研究开发协会 in the first half of 2019. The yard is currently also building another research vessel for marine geophysical research, as well as a Antarctic krill harvesting vessel (see item 11 in this newsletter.)
Photos of the Da Yang (dry-docked) and design graphics of the two latter vessels can be found here.
The international seabed and the polar regions are all articulated as “frontiers” in Chinese political contexts. Article 32 of the 2015 National Security Law 国家安全法 calls for outer space, the international seabed, and the polar regions to be “peacefully explored and exploited.” Last year, another survey ship, the Da Yang 6 大洋六号 returned to port with samples of cobalt crusts (and microplastics) after an almost five month long survey trek in the Pacific Ocean.
See also: China Ocean Dialogue has recently written about China’s enthusiastic build-up of its technological and legal deep-sea exploration and mining assets.
Naming ceremony held for four Yamal ice-class LNG carriers
The four vessels, Nikolay Yevgenov, Vladimir Voronin, Georgiy Ushakov, and Yakov Gakkel, have been financed by China LNG Shipping (CLNG) 中国液化天气热运输 and Canadian Teekay. CLNG is itself a joint venture between COSCO Energy Shipping 中远海运能源 and China Merchant Energy Shipping 招商轮船能源运输, each holding a 50% share.
When delivered, the vessels will bring the total number of ice-strengthened LNG carriers servicing the Yamal LNG plant to 14. All in all, 15 ships have been ordered.
Aker Arctic has been responsible for the ship design: 299 meter in length, 50 meter in width, with a carrying capacity of 172,600 cbm. All vessels have been designed for the Russian Arc7 ice class notation.
CLNG has partially financed a total of six vessels through their joint venture with Canadian Teekay. China Shipping Development 海发展股份有限公司 has financed three vessels together with Japanese Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL). A further five are financed and operated by the Dynagas-Sinotrans venture, Dynagas LNG Partners.
The only Chinese-built Arc7 vessel, Boris Sokolov, was launched from the Guangzhou International Shipyard 广船国际有限公司 last November, almost one year behind schedule. The ship stands out among the Arc7 fleet as being a condensate tanker, being able to carry both gas condensate and oil. The ship is also 214 meter long, 34 meter wide, as opposed to its other Arc7 colleagues.
Also related to the Yamal LNG plant: photos were posted on a ship-spotting forum from the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard 沪东中华造船厂 in Shanghai, where work was being finished on the outfitting of three conventional 174,000 cbm carriers (Dubhe, Merak, and Phecda). A fourth non-ice-strengthened LNG carrier (Megrez) is also being built by the shipyard. All four are scheduled to be delivered to MOL in 2020. The Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard is currently the only Chinese yard with the capabilities to build large-scale LNG vessels.
While LNG shipments bound for the European market are transshipped onto conventional LNG carriers, this has not been the practice for shipments eastward. Novatek is currently planning to build transshipment facilities on the Kamchatka peninsula in the Russian Far East.
China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) 中国石油天然气集团公司 and the Silk Road Fund 丝路基金 holds a 20% and 9.9% stake in the Yamal LNG Project, respectively. China will see three million tonnes annually out of the plant’s total 16.5 million tonnes production capacity.
Chinese shipbuilder delivers first polar cruise vessel, steel cut for second vessel
China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) 招商局工业集团 passed a milestone as it launched China’s first domestically built polar expedition cruise ships. The ship, 104 meter in length and 18 meter in width, is categorized as a Polar B vessel with a PC 6 ice class notation. It will be handed over to Miami-based SunStone Ships this September. The launching ceremony was held back-to-back with the steel-cutting ceremony of a second vessel. Both have been designed by Ulstein, the Norwegian ship design house, and are variations on their X-BOW design. Both ships have been chartered by Australian Aurora Expeditions.
At the ship’s launching ceremony, the local mayor, Xu Huiming 徐惠民, observed that this was the first polar cruise vessel to have been built in China and proclaimed that CMHI now had set precedent for future “made in China cruise ships.” In an earlier interview, SunStone CEO Niels-Erik Lund said to Seatrade Cruise News: “We are building in China but with Norwegians providing the entire equipment package and supervising the building and Finland building the interiors. So we're sure it will be first class.”
The ships are built under a 4+6 contract, meaning CMHI will deliver four ships with an option of an additional six.
Energy and Industry
Several Chinese fabrication yards in the bidding for Arctic LNG 2 fabrication contracts
The lead contractor for the Arctic LNG 2 plant, TechnipFMC, have invited several Chinese contractors to submit bids for the construction of the modules to build the plant’s first production train. The tender opened last December included the construction of 150,000 tons of modules. The total order for the plant’s first liquefaction train was distributed between three packages: pipe-rack modules (34,000 tons) and two nondescript packages of 84,000 and 17,000 tons each.
In 2017, Novatek signed an MOU with China Development Bank 国家开发银行 and entered a strategic cooperation agreement with with China National Petroleum (CNPC) 中国石油. French oil and gas company Total recently acquired a 10% interest in the project. Now, Saudi Aramco is also considering to enter the Arctic gas industry by acquiring a large stake in the project. The same is true for Japanese Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi, as well as the Russian sovereign fund, all having expressed interest in participating in the project.
Chinese candidate contractors include:
COSCO Shipping Heavy Industries 中远海运重工,
Wison Offshore Engineering 惠生海工,
CMIC Offshore 中集来福士,
China Offshore Oil Engineering (COOEC) 海洋石油工程,
Penglai Jutao Offshore Engineering 蓬莱巨涛海洋工程,
Bomesc Offshore Engineering 博迈科海洋工程,
CNPC Offshore Engineering (CPOE) 中国石油海洋工程, and
Qingdao McDermott Wuchuan Offshore 青岛武船麦克德莫特海洋工程.
Saipem and Renaissance, the Italian-Turkish joint venture, will construct and install the gravity-based structures that will host the liquefaction trains. German Siemens will provide gas compressor equipment.
According to Upstream, the Kola Shipyard near Murmansk has been designated to built the packages for the second and third liquefaction trains, purportedly leaving out foreign bidders. Each LNG train is set to produce 6.6 million tons per annum.
Chinese Offshore Oil Engineering wins LNG Canada fabrication contract
The same Upstream article reported that COOEC and CPOE were likely to partner up for a joint bid, as the former’s fabrication yard has to split its capacity between modules for the Arctic LNG 2 project and the LNG Canada project currently underway. COOEC was recently awarded a contract to produce modules totaling 150,000 tons destined for the LNG project located in British Columbia, Canada’s westernmost province.
PetroChina 中国石油天气热, a CNPC subsidiary and the country’s largest oil and gas distributor, holds a 15% stake in the Canadian project.
China National Offshore Corp. (CNOOC) 中国海洋石油总公司 previously delivered 180,000 tons worth of modules to the Yamal LNG complex.
Neptune Energy charters Chinese-built rig for Norwegian North Sea
The semi-submersible has been built by CIMC Raffles 中集来福士 and is currently docked in their Yantai yard. CIMC, in turn, has entered a management agreement with Norwegian Odfjell Drilling. The latter will operate the rig on behalf of CIMC with a option to later purchase the rig.
Drilling is scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2019 and will take place in the Duva field in the North Sea, roughly 34 km off the Norwegian west coast.
The rig is designed for harsh environments and is winterized to meet operational requirements in Arctic conditions. According to a local newspaper, CIMC holds over 80% of the intellectual property rights that have gone into constructing the rig.
Although not mentioned in Norwegian- or English-language coverage of the agreement, according to Chinese sources, the rig will be renamed to “Deepsea Yantai” (or “仙境烟台” in Chinese).
Local government bans fishing in China’s only Arctic river
Late March, the government of the Altai prefecture in China’s northwestern Xinjiang province reported that laws banning all forms of fishing in natural rivers had went into effect. This includes the Irtysh River 额尔齐斯河, which originates in the nearby Altai Mountains, passes through Kazakhstan, and finally runs out into the Ob River in western Siberia. This makes it the only Chinese-sourced river to terminate in the Arctic Ocean.
According to China Daily, the conservationist measures come after a long period of overfishing. The river, which freezes over for up to five months a year, is home to several cold-water fish species.
The local government announcement makes no mention of this Arctic connection; however, the English-language article by Xinhua chose the Arctic optics.
Culture
The Snow Dragon goes to Hollywood
The storied service life of China's first polar research vessel, the Xue Long, will be immortalized on the big screen. The icebreaker will serve as the set of its own feature film, a movie adaptation of the dramatic rescue operation that the ship found itself in in off the Antarctic coast in 2014, when the Russian research expedition ship Akademik Shokalskiy found itself trapped in ice. The rescue, which received international media attention, eventually spawned a book, Icy Glory 海冰荣誉. Now, a full-length movie will be produced with Chinese financing and creative input.
State television airs Antarctic nature and science documentary
China’s state television broadcaster recently aired an episode of the science education series 自然传奇 (Nature’s Legends) “逐梦南极 (Pursing the Antarctic Dream).” Footage was recorded during the 34th Antarctic expedition in 2017. The episode covers the history of China’s Antarctic program up until the current construction of the country’s fifth research station. The episode can be viewed in its entirety here (albeit only with Chinese subtitles).
Photos published from 2017 Arctic voyage
Photos taken during the 2017 voyage from the southern Chinese port city of Lianyungang 连云港 to the Baltic Sea have been published here. The 36,000 dwt ship is Tian Jian 天健, owned and operated by COSCO, carrying wind turbine equipment to the Danish port of Esbjerg and tunnel boring equipment to St. Petersburg,
“Circumnavigating the Arctic” and “500 Days in the Antarctic” books published
March also saw the release of two book. Fittingly enough, one is an account of the Xue Long icebreaker’s voyage history in the Arctic, under the title “环北极航行志 (Circumnavigating the Arctic)". The other is “在南极的500天 (500 Days in the Antarctic)”, the memoirs of a senior Chinese polar scientist from his time on expeditions and overwintering on the Antarctic continent.