Speculation is swirling as to where three laden and sanctioned Russian shadow LNG carriers that have arrived in Asia might discharge their cargoes.
Kpler data shows the 137,231-cbm Asya Energy (ex-Trader IV, built 2002) is sitting in the Sea of Japan after arriving in the region at the start of October.
The non-ice class vessel lifted a cargo from Novatek’s US-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 plant in mid-September, shipping it east through the Northern Sea Route (NSR).
The 138,000-cbm Pioneer (ex-Pioneer Spirit, built 2005) arrived off the Chinese coast this week, with some shadow ship watchers initially speculating that Hong Kong could be a destination for the ship’s cargo before it turned to head further north.
Pioneer loaded at Arctic LNG 2 on 1 August, shipping its cargo the long way round, sitting with it for some time in the eastern Mediterranean and possibly transferring cooldown volumes to the 149,700-cbm Nova Energy (ex-New Energy, built 2007) — then under its earlier name — before becoming one of the few LNG vessels this year to take the Suez Canal southbound.
Nova Energy has also now arrived in the Sea of Japan with an Arctic LNG 2 cargo loaded at the start of this month and transported via the NSR.
One potential option for at least two of the vessels would be to discharge into Russia’s giant floating storage unit at the eastern end of the NSR on the Kamchatka Peninsula, the 361,600-cbm Koryak FSU (built 2023).
Kjell Eikland, managing director of data provider Eikland Energy, estimates the FSU is currently storing around 130,000-cbm of LNG. But two of the vessels have already sailed south past the FSU.
Studying the vessels tracking data, Eikland said plans and objectives for the ships seem to change day-by-day with the vessels, and other shadow LNG carriers off Russia, apparently idling in the least trafficked areas.
Both the 79,833-cbm newbuilding Mulan (ex-Mulan Spirit) and the 138,000-cbm Everest Energy (ex-Metagas Everett, built 2003) appear to sitting in the Kara Sea with Arctic LNG 2 cargoes onboard.
The UK added both vessels to its growing sanctions list on Thursday.
Sistership storage unit the 361,600-cbm Saam FSU (built 2023) to the north of Murmansk is largely full with around 320,000-cbm onboard so would not seem an option for either ship, Eikland said.
Early ice build-up has physically closed the NSR to all but vessels with ice-breaking capability.
This week the 172,600-cbm Nikolay Yevgenov (built 2019) was heading east through the Arctic passage after loading a cargo at Novatek’s Yamal LNG plant.
Sistership Vladimir Voronin (built 2019) looks set to take the return trip in ballast.
