Tankers shipping along the Northern Sea Route now choose a new and more northern pathway.

Retreating ice makes it possible for tankers to traffic increasingly further north. According to First Deputy Director of Novatek, Mikhail Popov, the tankers shipping gas condensate along the route are now choosing to sail north of the Novosiberian Island. Until this year, vessels have all sailed south of the island through the Sannikov Strait.

The new pathway makes it more safe for bigger tankers to sail across the Arctic route, Popov says to MBnews.ru. Ships with a submersion of up to 12 meters can traffic along the new pathway, while the shallow waters of the Sannikov Strait restricts both speed and size, he adds.