The shadow fleet of gas carriers went to Yamal LNG

LNG tankers, which were dubbed the shadow fleet of gas carriers, went to Yamal LNG. The project attracts more and more third-party tankers. On the one hand, navigation along the Northern Sea Route began and more ice-class tankers took this short route to Asia. On the other hand, in eight months the EU ban on transshipment of Russian LNG in EU ports, which were used for the transit of liquefied gas to Asia during the absence of navigation along the Northern Sea Route, will come into force.

Pioneer and North Sky gas carriers of the little—known Emirati companies Nur Global Shipping and White Fox Ship Management went to the Russian Arctic for cargo - to the Yamal LNG project. Such data is provided by the automatic identification system of ships (AIS).

Both tankers increased the number of involved fleet for the export of Yamal LNG to five vessels. The other three are returning from Asia after the delivery of liquefied gas there, overloaded through the Belgian Zeebrugge.

Nur Global Shipping also has three tankers that it can attract to transportation. These vessels are stationed off Gibraltar and India.

As EADaily reported, 8 tankers became the property of unknown companies this year and they are called the shadow fleet, which will be involved in the export of Russian LNG. Although half of the ships are new.

Yamal LNG, unlike Arctic LNG — 2, is not under sanctions. Therefore, the attraction of additional vessels may have both short-term, medium-term and long-term goals.

The navigation season began on the Northern Sea Route and the gas carriers of the arc7 ice class set off on the shortest route to Asia. According to AIS vessels, 7 out of 15 vessels operate on this route. At the same time, the fleet of conventional tankers, after the appearance of clean water, went to Yamal itself. And Novatek may need more ships for cargo transportation.

In the medium term, in eight months, a ban on transshipment of Russian LNG in local ports will come into force in the EU, and Yamal LNG will need more ships to deliver cargo to Asia outside the navigation season along the Northern Sea Route around Europe. Cargoes can be overloaded near Murmansk. In April, almost all transit operations from ice-class gas carriers to conventional ones were carried out there, in the Kilda Strait.

It also cannot be ruled out that an additional fleet is needed in case new sanctions are imposed on Yamal LNG itself or the start of shipment from Arctic LNG — 2. The first stage of the second Arctic project was launched in December, but due to sanctions, it cannot receive ice-class gas carriers.

The Financial Times reports, citing consulting company Windward, that since the second quarter of 2023, more than 50 LNG vessels have changed owners to companies located in the UAE, and tankers may be involved in the transportation of Russian gas.

At the same time, there is actual confirmation only for the companies Nur Global Shipping and White Fox Ship Management.