/Reuters Agency
A sixth tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia’s sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project unloaded at the Beihai terminal in China, according to ship tracking data from Kpler and LSEG.
The Arctic Mulan unloaded more than 75,000 cubic meters of LNG at the Port of Guangxi, in the south of the country, according to data compiled by LSEG, marking its second delivery to China since August 28.
The vessel had previously loaded in Kamchatka, in the Russian Far East, which has exclusively handled shipments from Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project.
Another vessel, the Arctic Vostok, which also loaded in Kamchatka, was recently seen passing southeast of China’s Hainan island, according to LSEG and Kpler, although tracking data does not confirm its docking in Beihai.
The tanker belongs to Lule One Services Inc and is managed by Ocean Speedstar Solutions, both registered in India, according to the sanctions data provider OpenSanctions.
Kpler data showed the vessel was in the Gulf of Tonkin on September 16, where the Beihai terminal is located. However, neither provider indicates the vessel has docked in Beihai.
Two additional sanctioned tankers are currently en route. The La Perouse, carrying 150,000 cubic meters of LNG from Gydan, in northern Siberia, has passed Cape Town heading into the Indian Ocean.
Meanwhile, the Arctic Metagaz, loaded with more than 133,000 cubic meters from Murmansk, is passing Japan and continuing south, according to Kpler data, with no confirmed destination.
The Arctic LNG 2 project, 60% owned by Russian company Novatek, was intended to become one of the country’s largest LNG plants, with an estimated annual production of 19.8 million metric tons. However, Western sanctions have created uncertainty about its future.
