Russian Ship Heads To Alaska To Help Iced-in City

Published December 27, 2011 9:45PM (EST)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A Russian fuel tanker has been thwarted by international red tape and slowed by ocean currents, but it's keeping to its mission to deliver petroleum products to the iced-in city of Nome.

The western Alaska city normally gets fuel by barge, but a storm this fall prevented the last delivery before winter. Now the plan is to have the Russian tanker deliver 1.5 million gallons of petroleum products.

The tanker was loaded with diesel in Korea, but international shipping regulations and bad weather prevented gasoline from being taken onboard in Japan.

The tanker was being slowed by ocean currents Tuesday as it headed to Dutch Harbor for gasoline. The Coast Guard says the plan then is to help the double-hulled tanker get through 300 miles of ice around Nome.


By Salon Staff

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