/Reuters Agency
A tanker sanctioned by the United States has moved from the Arctic LNG 2 plant eastward along Russia’s Northern Sea Route, according to LSEG data and market sources.
The Northern Sea Route, which Moscow aims to turn into a new Suez Canal, poses a challenge for navigation due to thick ice in winter, so its use is limited to the warmer months.
According to navigation data, the vessel Universal was loaded with approximately 44,000 metric tons of gas condensate at the Arctic LNG 2 plant on September 2.
The unit moved along the Northern Sea Route to perform ship-to-ship transfers near the port of Zarubino, in the Russian Far East.
The Arctic LNG 2 project, which is subject to Western sanctions due to Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, was planned to become one of the country’s largest LNG plants, with an estimated production of 19.8 million metric tons per year and up to 1.6 million metric tons of gas condensate.
The current gas condensate production volumes at the Arctic LNG 2 project are unclear.
Last year, a record volume of nearly 38 million metric tons of goods – including oil and LNG – was transported along the Northern Sea Route, according to the state-owned company Rosatom.
