Russian LNG tanker docked in Kamchatka after four-month global quest failed
Photo: Moscow cannot sell gas (Getty Images)
A vessel transporting a shipment of Russian liquefied natural gas appears to be unloading the fuel into a storage facility in the Far East of the country. It failed to find a buyer willing to bypass US restrictions despite a four-month journey across the globe, according to Bloomberg.
The tanker Pioneer, carrying cargo from Russia's Arctic LNG 2 plant, docked near the floating storage facility Koryak in Kamchatka on December 26, according to ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. Presumably, the gas will be stored there until a buyer is found.
www.bloomberg.com
The Pioneer and Koryak projects are under US sanctions.
The Pioneer was spotted in satellite images as it loaded the first shipment from Arctic LNG 2 in early August — despite using misleading location data to mask its movements — but then spent more than four months searching for a client. The prolonged journey highlights how US restrictions are disrupting Moscow's plans to triple LNG exports by 2030.
While several shipments from Arctic LNG 2, Russia's newest facility, have been exported, all were carried out using vessels from the "shadow fleet," and none docked at foreign ports, as potential buyers fear retaliatory measures from the US.
In October, Arctic LNG 2 was forced to temporarily halt production due to a lack of buyers and vessels capable of navigating the icy waters of the facility. Russia is rushing to build icebreakers, and ship tracking data indicates that the first such tanker is undergoing sea trials.
