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Sanctioned Tanker Loads LNG From Russia's Arctic LNG 2 Storage Unit

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A liquefied natural gas tanker loaded cargo from a US-sanctioned floating storage unit in Russia's Murmansk region for the first time, Bloomberg reported, highlighting Moscow's efforts to sustain LNG exports despite Western sanctions.

The Arctic Express, which switched to a Russian flag in May, reportedly loaded LNG from the Saam floating storage unit, which holds fuel from the US-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project. Both the vessel and the storage unit are under US sanctions.

According to Bloomberg's analysis of ship-tracking data, at least 21 vessels have transported LNG from sanctioned Russian projects, reflecting Russia's expanding "shadow fleet" for LNG exports. The report said the main constraint on Arctic LNG 2 exports remains a shortage of specialized ice-class tankers capable of delivering cargoes to buyers.

The Arctic Express, built in 2007 and previously managed by a Greek company, was acquired around May by St. Petersburg-based Smp Techmanagement LLC, according to the Equasis shipping database. Bloomberg reported the company also owns three other LNG carriers linked to Russia's shadow fleet.

Earlier this year, Russia added four former Oman LNG tankers to its fleet. Ship-tracking data show Arctic LNG 2 exported a record 400,000 metric tons of LNG in May, its highest monthly volume since shipments began in 2024, Bloomberg said.

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