Russia Reinforces Shadow Gas Fleet with Four Tankers to Increase Exports

SadaNews - Four liquefied natural gas tankers, which until recently were serving an Omani export terminal, have begun loading fuel shipments from a Russian project that is under U.S. sanctions, in the latest sign of Moscow's efforts to boost its exports and circumvent Western restrictions.

The tanker "Kosmos" docked over the weekend next to the sanctioned floating storage unit "Saam" near Murmansk in western Russia, before leaving later with a deeper draft, indicating that it had loaded a shipment, according to ship tracking data.

Ship data also showed that three other former Omani vessels, "Merkuriy", "Orion", and "Luch", have already received shipments from "Saam" or are preparing to dock there.

The "Saam" unit stores fuel produced from the U.S.-sanctioned "Arctic LNG 2" project, which can only be accessed during most months of the year via ships equipped with ice-breaking capabilities.

Solving the Shipping Dilemma in the Arctic

Maritime shipping poses the main obstacle for Russian fuel stranded in its northern region, and these additional tankers could enable the country to expand its exports.

Earlier this year, the tanker "Kosmos" changed its flag to the Russian flag, also changing its name and transferring ownership to an unknown company.

Tracking data shows that the tanker "Merkuriy" received fuel from the "Saam" unit earlier this month and is currently in the Atlantic Ocean likely heading to Asia, while "Orion" is heading toward the project, with "Luch" also nearby.

20 Tankers for Gas from Sanctioned Russian Projects

These developments indicate that at least 20 tankers are now being used to transport liquefied natural gas from sanctioned Russian projects, according to an analysis by Bloomberg of ship tracking data.

One of these tankers was attacked last March, resulting in its current unavailability.

This comes as Moscow seeks to capitalize on high demand for liquefied natural gas across Asia, amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has curtailed one-fifth of global supplies and driven fuel prices higher.

Characteristics and Specifications of the "Shadow Fleet" Ships

The four vessels exhibit distinctive traits of what is known as the "shadow fleet"; they are older than conventional liquefied natural gas carriers that are still in service, and their ownership has recently been transferred to unknown companies in the sector.

According to the Equasis database, ownership of "Kosmos" was transferred in February to Mighty Ocean Shipping, based in Hong Kong, while "Luch"’s ownership was transferred in April to Abakan LLC, based in Russia.

Ownership of "Orion" and "Merkuriy" was transferred in February to Celtic Maritime & Trading SA. The four vessels were previously owned or managed by the Omani Ship Management Company.

Mighty Ocean did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while contact information for Celtic Maritime & Trading and Abakan was not immediately available.