Compression of the ice cover in the Pechora Sea: a natural phenomenon and its impact on marine operations

Abstract

The Pechora Sea is an essential region of the Russian Arctic shelf in terms of hydrocarbon production and cargo transit along the NSR (mainly from the Ob’ Bay area). Occasionally, heavy ice conditions form in this area, manifested in the compression of the ice cover, which lead to a serious complication of navigation and operation of vessels supporting the Prirazlomnaya ice resisting platform. Based on the analysis of various sources, the authors consider the processes of formation of severe ice conditions in 2003 and 2018, as well as their impact on the operation of ships. They demonstrate that the only vessel able to operate steadily in such conditions is a nuclear icebreaker. The authors suggest that ice compressions of varying intensity are quite typical for the area and can repeat occasionally