Russia has begun using four more tankers to transport liquefied natural gas from the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, attempting to ramp up exports and bypass Western restrictions. This was reported by Reuters, citing vessel tracking data and Bloomberg analysis, according to UNN.
Details
The tankers in question are the Cosmos, Mercury, Orion, and Luch, which previously operated at an export plant in Oman. The vessels have now begun servicing Russian LNG supplies via the Saam floating storage unit near Murmansk, which is under US sanctions. According to monitoring data, the Cosmos has already loaded fuel, while the other tankers have either docked at the storage facility or are en route to it.
Moscow expands "shadow fleet" for LNG supplies
Reuters notes that shipping remains the primary challenge for Russia's Arctic LNG 2, as the project is located in a northern region where ice-breaking capabilities are required for most of the year. The additional tankers are intended to help Moscow increase export volumes amid high demand for LNG in Asia.
According to Bloomberg, at least 20 tankers are already being used to transport gas from sanctioned Russian projects. Some of these vessels are linked to the so-called "shadow fleet"—they are older than standard LNG tankers and were recently re-registered to obscure companies in Hong Kong, Russia, and other jurisdictions.
Against the backdrop of the war and supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, Russia is trying to capitalize on the spike in global gas prices. One of the tankers in this fleet was attacked in March and taken out of service; however, Moscow continues to seek new routes and vessels for fuel exports.
Russia has likely begun loading sanctioned LNG onto a new tanker under its own flag10.05.26, 07:50