Russia has shipped US-sanctioned LNG through the Suez Canal, switched the name on one of its shadow LNG carriers and seen several of its vessels declassed by one major society.
All eyes are on a first shipment from Russia’s US-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, which on Friday was heading southbound through the Red Sea and where it will discharge.
Data provider Eikland Energy’s iGIS/LNG has detailed that the previously observed ship-to-ship transfer from the 138,000-cbm Pioneer (ex-Pioneer Spirit, built 2005) to the then named 149,700-cbm New Energy (ex-Neo Energy, built 2007) in the eastern Mediterranean only saw a very small volume of LNG moved between the vessels.
The US-sanctioned Pioneer has since sailed south through the Suez Canal — raising questions about the payment of fees for such a vessel — and is now carrying an almost full cargo through the Red Sea and is not in ballast as TradeWinds previously reported.
India has said in the past week that it will not accept US-sanctioned Russian LNG.
Russia continues to juggle its so-called shadow LNG carrier fleet.
The New Energy has recently been renamed Nova Energy. The vessel was originally built and controlled by Greece’s Tsakos Energy Navigation.
The Nova Energy, Pioneer and three other LNG carriers along with two companies were sanctioned by the UK authorities on Thursday.
Records show that classification society Lloyd’s Register has withdrawn certification from the two ships, along with two more LNG carriers associated with Russian business.
They are the 79,833-cbm newbuilding Mulan (ex-Mulan Spirit) and the 137,231-cbm Asya Energy (ex-Trader IV, built 2002).
Kpler data shows the Mulan, the first newbuilding in the shadow fleet, loaded a cargo at Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 plant on 22 September.
The Asya Energy has just shipped a cargo from the plant through the Northern Sea Route.
A fifth vessel, the 138,000-cbm Everest Energy (ex-Metagas Everett, built 2003), also took the NSR with a shipment from the sanctioned plant and offloaded this into Russia’s 361,600-cbm Koryak FSU (built 2023) off the Kamchatka Peninsula.
The ship appears to be returning through the Arctic passage in ballast.
The Everest Energy is listed as classed by DNV, although its classification is due to expire in early October.
Russia’s shadow LNG fleet is also having flag issues. Last month, the Palau International Ship Registry said it was temporarily revoking the registration of three LNG carriers – the Asya Energy, Everest Energy and Pioneer.
Records show the Nova Energy and Mulan switched flags last month, moving from the Palau registry and Singapore, respectively, to Panama.
