Russia Almost Doubled Shadow Fleet of Gas Carriers in a Year — Bloomberg

At least 20 tankers are currently serving the Arctic LNG 2 complex, up from 11 at the end of December.

In less than a year, Russia has nearly doubled its fleet of tankers carrying liquefied natural gas from the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, Bloomberg reported.

According to an analysis of vessel traffic data, at least 20 tankers are currently serving the complex and its associated infrastructure. Most of them have opaque ownership structures typical of the “shadow fleet.” At the end of December, there were only 11 such vessels.

The latest addition to the fleet is a modern Russian-made ice-class tanker — the second of its kind designed for year-round operation in icy waters. According to tracking systems, it was loading gas onto the Arctic LNG 2 this weekend.

US and European sanctions against the project have forced Moscow to postpone plans to triple LNG production by 2030. At the same time, Russia is rapidly expanding its shadow fleet to continue supplying gas to the east. Sanctioned LNG currently has only one buyer: China.

Significantly, the administration of US President Donald Trump has not yet taken a tough stance on Russia’s gas industry and the growth of the “shadow fleet.” Washington has not threatened sanctions or imposed restrictions on China’s purchases of sanctioned fuel. This is in contrast to the policy of the Joe Biden administration, which imposed sanctions on Arctic LNG 2, as well as the vessels and storage facilities that support it.

The technical complexity of the project requires a special fleet. Arctic LNG 2 is located in a remote part of Western Siberia, where icy conditions limit shipping for most of the year. The LNG is first loaded onto specially designed ice-class tankers, then transported to storage facilities in the Russian Far East or to the west, where the gas is reloaded onto conventional tankers for delivery to customers.

Three Arc7-class tankers are currently in operation, with several more under construction — one vessel is expected to be commissioned by the end of the year, according to Moscow. In addition to the Arc7 and Arc4, which can handle thinner ice, Russia has 12 conventional tankers for long-distance trips to China during the winter months, when the northern route is too thick. Rystad estimates that for Arctic LNG 2 to operate at full capacity, Russia may need up to 30 conventional tankers.

USM previously reported that Russia is increasing its Arctic tanker convoy to export oil to Asia.