Sabetta


Sabetta is the location of a port and LNG plant—Yamal LNG—on the Yamal Peninsula, in the north of Russia.

Location

The site chosen for the port is on the western shore of the Ob estuary, on the Yamal peninsula. It is close to, and will serve, the Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye gas field.

Project

The port is a joint venture between Novatek—a large producer of natural gas—and the Russian government. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in July 2012, but construction of the port itself was scheduled to begin in the summer of 2013. The project includes a large LNG plant, capable of producing 16.5 million tons of LNG per year. The port would allow LNG to be exported by sea, year round, from Siberian oil & gas fields. Construction of the LNG plant itself is contracted to JGC and Technip.
A 180 km railway line is being built, connecting Bovanenkovo to Sabetta.
In December 2014, amid the 2014–15 Russian financial crisis, the Russian government gave a 150 billion rouble subsidy to the LNG project.
The port and first phase of the plant were opened by President Putin on 8 December 2017.

Transportation

is serving the city. A $3.22 billion proposal for a railway project connecting Sabetta to the broader Eurasian rail network has been approved.

Shipping

The port requires extensive dredging of channels; this is being performed by DEME. Ice also poses serious challenges to shipping.
DSME is building fifteen LNG carriers for the project.
As well as LNG exports, some goods imports are expected too; the port plan includes at least one berth for customs inspections of foreign ships.
In 2016 Chemical reactors were shipped from South Korea through Sabetta, on its way to the Pavlodar oil refinery.
Barges of grain will travel 2,000 kilometers down the Irtysh, to be transferred to freighters, for shipment to Japan.