Joint training for Arctic LNG carrier surveyors

Joint training for Arctic LNG carrier surveyors ABS and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping have jointly started an in-depth training program covering survey of Arctic liquefied natural gas carriers for a team of surveyors picked from both societies.
   Classroom instruction in early October at the Russian Maritime Register training facilities in St. Petersburg is to be followed by lengthy field training at shipyards for new construction and on ABS-classed LNG carriers for in-service surveys.
   The joint training program is part of a wide-ranging cooperative agreement signed earlier this year by the two societies.
   'Industry needs a fleet of LNG carriers to carry ever-growing gas resources to market,' said Christopher J. Wiernicki, president and chief operating officer for ABS, in a statement. 'Much of the expected future trade will be from production facilities located in the Arctic.'
   'Our long experience in classing vessels built for and operating in Polar waters has given us a deep understanding of the structural and operational issues that are critical to safety of these specialized ships,' said Vladimir Evenko, vice general director of the Russian Maritime Register. 'By marrying our greater expertise in ice with ABS's wider knowledge of LNG structural and operational issues, both of our societies will significantly improve their overall capabilities.'
   For more details about trends and developments in Arctic shipping, read the October American Shipper, pages 73-75.