In the months since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of Western sanctions, Russia has created a shadow fleet to transport its oil globally. According to recent reports, Moscow has begun similar efforts to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is essential for increasing exports, filling the state treasury, and financing military needs.
This was reported by UNN with reference to Bloomberg.
Russia's attempts to increase its share of the global LNG market have been hampered by US sanctions that have deterred foreign investment and blocked the supply of specialized ships for Arctic routes. New European sanctions that will come into effect next year will restrict access to ports, further complicating logistics. According to Equasis, a global shipping database, ownership of at least eight vessels has been transferred to companies in Dubai over the past three months. Four of these vessels are ice-class and have been authorized by Moscow to sail through Russian Arctic waters this summer.
There are several signs pointing to Russia's efforts to create a dark fleet for LNG. The acquisition of old carriers, the transfer of ice-class vessels to a company in Dubai, and the record number of permits for the Northern Sea Route indicate that the pieces of the dark fleet puzzle are falling into place
The Palauan-flagged Asya Energy became an object of attention in June when, despite increased attacks by Houthi militants on commercial ships in the Red Sea, it safely sailed through the region.
Asya Energy became the first LNG carrier to make such a voyage since January this year. The 22-year-old vessel, which received its current name in May, is operated by Nur Global Shipping, a company based out of the luxurious Meydan Hotel in the UAE's free trade zone. This company has been criticized by officials for its lack of transparency and does not have a known insurer.
According to Bloomberg tracking data, Asya Energy was heading to the Mediterranean on Thursday with no cargo and no specific destination in mind. Nur, which, according to its website, entered the energy sector in 2022, has operated three other LNG carriers since April - Pioneer, New Energy and Mulan - owned by firms located at Nur's address.
The insurers of these tankers are also listed as unknown.On the other hand, four newly built ice-class vessels have been transferred to White Fox Ship Management in Dubai. Recently, Russia approved the North Air, North Mountain, North Sky and North Way for navigation in the Arctic this summer.North Way is currently en route to the Zeebrugge terminal in Belgium to receive a shipment of Russian gas. White Fox does not have an official office and shares a desk with several other companies, raising additional questions about the transparency of its operations.
Recall
A BBC study claims that million barrels of fuelmade from Russian oil are still being imported into the UK despite the sanctions. In particular, at least three refineries in India are involved in the supply of petroleum products made from Russian oil to the UK.