-- Four recently reflagged LNG carriers tied to Turkish-linked entities are heading north in the Atlantic, potentially signaling a renewed push by Russia to expand its constrained export fleet, gCaptain reported Tuesday.
Vessel tracking data shows the ships, Kosmos and Merkuriy, sailing north off Portugal, while Luch and Orion are following from waters off West Africa. Luch has recently begun signaling Murmansk as its destination, Malte Humpert, investigative journalist for gCaptain and High North News and Senior Fellow at the Arctic Institute, said Tuesday.
The four vessels, formerly part of Oman's Asyad Shipping fleet, were sold earlier this year for about $110 million, Humpert said, citing company disclosures and shipbroking sources. Since then, they have undergone multiple renamings, brief re-registration under the Indian Register of Shipping, and subsequent transfer to the Russian flag and maritime register.
Shipping databases indicate the vessels are controlled by interests linked to Turkish firms, including Fidelity Denizcilik ve Ticaret and Celtic Maritime & Trading, though ultimate beneficial ownership remains unclear.
All the vessels have changed their names and been reflagged to Russia. Previously, the tankers were owned by an Omani company, Reuters said Wednesday.
Each ship, built between 2005 and 2006, has undergone rapid changes in identity. Kosmos, formerly Salalah LNG and Luch, ex-Ibri LNG, are now listed under Hong Kong-based Mighty Ocean Shipping with Turkish management links. Orion, ex-Nizwa LNG, and Merkuriy, ex-Ibra LNG, are tied to Turkey-based Celtic Maritime & Trading.
Russia may require roughly 30 additional LNG carriers to sustain exports as European Union restrictions tighten. A ban on short-term Russian LNG contracts took effect on Apr. 25, with a full prohibition on long-term imports set to take effect from Jan. 1.
To maintain flows, Russia must expand shipping capacity for both the Yamal LNG project and the heavily sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 development.
The four vessels could represent an initial step in that effort, though their precise role remains unclear. Sailing under the Russian flag, they would be barred from delivering cargoes into the European Union, limiting deployment largely to non-EU markets such as China.
At the same time, Humpert said their lack of direct sanctions could allow them to carry LNG from Yamal LNG, either via direct loading at Sabetta or through ship-to-ship transfers from ice-class Arc7 carriers.
They could also support Arctic LNG 2, which faces an acute shortage of available vessels, exacerbated by longer routing around southern Africa and avoidance of the Mediterranean following a recent attack on a shadow fleet LNG carrier.
While their ultimate deployment remains uncertain, their coordinated northbound movement toward Russia's LNG export hubs suggests they are likely to form part of a broader effort to expand a shadow fleet and sustain exports under mounting logistical and sanctions pressures.
(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)