Russia's Sovcomflot oil line will undertake a trial shipment of oil to Japan this summer, reported to be the first shipment ever to sail the entire Northern Sea Route from northwest Russia to Asia.The decision by Sovcomflot follows earlier plans by China and Russia to begin shipping oil through the Arctic Circle, aiming to decrease sailing time and avoid piracy and terrorism along the main existing routes from Hormuz through the Straits of Malacca.The Northern Sea route normally is open fewer than 2 months in the late summer when the ice is at its minimum. But opportunities for sailing the route are increasing due to climate changes that are melting ice for longer periods of time.Sovcomfl...