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Britain on Tuesday imposed sanctions on four liquefied natural gas carriers linked to Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project, becoming the first G7 country to target the latest vessels acquired to expand exports from the sanctioned Arctic plant.
The newly sanctioned vessels – Orion, Merkuriy, Kosmos and Luch – form part of a growing LNG "shadow fleet" assembled by Russian gas producer Novatek to overcome severe shipping constraints that have hampered Arctic LNG 2 since Western sanctions were imposed.
According to a UK sanctions notice, London determined there were reasonable grounds to suspect the vessels were involved in transporting Russian LNG to third countries. In the case of Merkuriy, the government said the vessel was "involved in carrying liquefied natural gas that originated in Russia from a place in Russia to a third country" following a ship-to-ship transfer with the Saam FSU near Murmansk.
The sanctions were announced as part of a broader package targeting Russia's war economy, including banks, military procurement networks and more than 20 oil and gas vessels. Britain said it was the first G7 nation to sanction these newly acquired vessels linked to Arctic LNG 2.
The four LNG carriers were purchased earlier this year through a network of intermediaries and subsequently reflagged and renamed before entering service for Russia's Arctic export chain. Maritime tracking data shows all four vessels are currently en route to China carrying LNG cargoes originating from Arctic LNG 2.
The cargoes were transferred ship-to-ship in the Murmansk region after being transported from Arctic LNG 2 by Russia's icebreaking LNG carriers, highlighting the increasingly complex logistics network Moscow has developed to keep exports moving despite sanctions.
The vessels are among a growing number of older steam-turbine LNG carriers being quietly acquired from the secondary market. Industry sources say the purchases were made on behalf of Novatek, which faces an acute shortage of LNG shipping capacity after sanctions disrupted access to conventional financing, insurance, and vessel management services.
The stakes are rising beyond Arctic LNG 2. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027 the entire EU market, the primary destination for product from the neighboring Yamal LNG project will be off limits due to sanctions, forcing Russia to rely increasingly on long-haul deliveries to Asia and significantly expanding its shipping requirements.
Analysts estimate Novatek will ultimately require dozens of additional LNG carriers to maintain year-round logistics from both Arctic LNG 2 and the Yamal LNG project.
As a result, sales of aging steam-powered LNG carriers are drawing growing scrutiny across shipping markets, with brokers and analysts increasingly questioning whether vessels changing hands could ultimately join Russia's expanding Arctic LNG shadow fleet.
The Arctic LNG 2 vessels were part of a much broader maritime sanctions package. According to the UK sanctions notice, London designated a total of 27 ships, including oil tankers and support vessels involved in Russia's energy export chain.
Among the vessels designated was Kord, a tanker operated by Murmansk-based Kord-Bunker, a company that provides bunkering and marine support services in northwestern Russia. The designation comes just one day after the European Union imposed sanctions on both Kord-Bunker and the tanker as part of its latest measures against Russia's maritime sector.
Fuente: GCAPTAIN_NEWS
