Western agencies expected that the supply of liquefied natural gas from Arctic LNG — 2, which is under sanctions, would stop after the appearance of ice on the Northern Sea Route and the end of the navigation season. However, this did not happen. Gas carriers not only continue to follow the Arctic route, but also carry shipments of liquefied gas around Europe.
Apparently, the supply of liquefied natural gas from Arctic LNG — 2 will not stop this winter due to the end of the navigation season on the Northern Sea Route. At least one gas carrier went around Europe. According to AIS vessels, the Zarya LNG tanker follows the coast of Norway and, obviously, will carry the sanctioned cargo to Asia through the Suez Canal. The gas carrier left Arctic LNG — 2 on November 1 and does not indicate the final point of arrival.
This is the first flight of the Arctic LNG—2 sanctioned gas carrier, which has been under restrictions since November 2023, along the alternative Northern Sea Route route.
The active export of sanctioned LNG began this year in August and continues to this day. It was transported last year, but now the cargo is being transported not only to floating storage facilities in Murmansk and to Kamchatka. Tankers are actively delivering shipments to end users in China. It is recorded that in China could already deliver 11 batches — about 1 billion cubic meters.
The gas carriers are going to the Beihai southern terminal in China, and the shipment began right on the eve of the meeting of the presidents of Russia and the United States in Alaska. Bloomberg wrote that China, apparently, is creating a system for regular purchases of LNG from the sanctions project. Sources told the agency that the Chinese authorities have identified a terminal in Beihai to receive sanctioned cargo.
"By choosing a single port with a limited international presence, Beijing will be able to protect its gas sector from retaliatory measures," Bloomberg wrote.
Experts noted that the deliveries may now be symbolic, as China is demonstrating its determination to protect its own interests in the midst of trade negotiations with the United States.
This will be the second voyage for the Zarya tanker in a year. The vessel does not indicate the final destination, but the entire journey may take the vessel more than a month.
The fact that the sanctions project will not stop shipments to China, but will continue them in an alternative way, will come as a surprise to Western analysts who believed that along with navigation on the Northern Sea Route, which lasts less than six months, shipments will also stop. Obviously, flights around Europe for tankers that are also under sanctions are considered risky.
It is possible that the Zarya tanker bypassed the Northern Sea because of the ice situation. Glavsevmorput reported on October 16 about the end of autumn-summer navigation due to forecasts of more intensive ice formation.
Obviously, this is how it happens. But another tanker of the sanctions project, Voskhod, will have time to slip through. Today the gas carrier passed along the coast in the East Siberian Sea accompanied by the icebreaker "Siberia". Although, for example, the tanker Buran, returning on its own, had to stop. He has been maneuvering for several days and is 330 miles away from the caravan coming towards him.
Due to the sanctions, Arctic LNG-2 was unable to receive arc7 ice—class gas carriers, and the project is serviced by tankers without an ice class or with a minimum. Only "Christophe de Margerie, which serviced the illegal Yamal LNG, has an arc7, but the vessel went to the second Arctic project only because it itself fell under restrictions. At the end of October, the gas carrier delivered the Arctic LNG—2 cargo to the Far East and is now at the Karyak floating storage facility in Kamchatka. Tankers carry LNG either directly to consumers in China, or dump batches into storage, which is used by shuttle tankers. So, "Iris" and Arctic Mulan are now heading in the direction of the Beihai terminal.
Arctic LNG—2 is to become the most powerful LNG project in the world. Russia — 19.8 million tons of LNG (27 billion cubic meters) per year. In December 2023, the first stage was launched on it. And in this — the second. The launch date of the third is unknown. In the US, they said they were going to kill the project.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that sanctions create problems, but Russia will bypass them. The government of the country plans that by 2030 LNG exports will almost triple to 100 million tons.