Germany Signals Green Light to Exit Yamal LNG Deal Under EU’s 19th Sanctions Package Germany may invoke “force majeure” to exit Yamal LNG deal. The EU’s 19th sanctions package provides state-owned SEFE legal cover to exit the Russian LNG contract, Germany says. The news is the first concrete step of long-term purchase agreements being unwound, signaling the beginning of the end for Russian gas exports to Europe.
Trump Presidency Could be Good News for Russia’s Arctic LNG Projects, Though Exact Policy Shift Hard to Predict The upcoming Trump presidency could provide some relief for Russia’s Arctic LNG project, experts told HNN. Existing sanctions may be eased and new ones could become less likely. The U.S.’ own LNG ambitions, however, could result in price pressure presenting a challenge to Arctic LNG 2 and Novatek.
China’s Wison New Energies At Risk of Sanctions U.S. Official Says as the Delivery of Arctic LNG Power Plant Imminent China's Wison New Energies exposes itself to significant sanctions risk if it delivers the power plant to Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project, a U.S. state department official stated to HNN. Two of the three vessels carrying the massive modules have now arrived at Russia’s doorstep after a month-long voyage across the partly ice-cover Arctic.
Wison Modules En Route to Arctic LNG Project In Defiance of Sanctions A Chinese-manufactured power plant for a sanctioned Russian LNG project continues to inch closer to the Arctic. Three heavy lift vessels have reached the northern Pacific and are days from passing through the Bering Strait.
Inside the Elaborate Scheme to Transport a Chinese Power Plant to Russia’s Arctic Undetected In a desperate attempt to salvage Russia’s largest liquefied natural gas project a small fleet of Chinese cargo vessels has set sail for the Arctic. Aboard is a massive power plant for Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project, assembled at China’s Wison New Energies for the past two years. With only weeks left before winter sea ice will make the route impassible the delivery is a race against time and against Western sanctions.
Inside the Elaborate Scheme to Transport a Chinese Power Plant to Russia’s Arctic Undetected In a desperate attempt to salvage Russia’s largest liquefied natural gas project a small fleet of Chinese cargo vessels has set sail for the Arctic. Aboard is a massive power plant for Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project, assembled at China’s Wison New Energies for the past two years. With only weeks left before winter sea ice will make the route impassible the delivery is a race against time and against Western sanctions.
‘Shadow Fleet’ LNG Carrier Travels Up Norwegian Coast After Failed Attempt to Deliver Sanctioned Cargo Six weeks after a sanctioned load of liquefied natural gas traveled down the Norwegian coastline, the same cargo returns to the Arctic after a failed attempt to transit the Suez Canal. Again traveling on an unflagged and uninsured LNG tanker with consequences for marine and environmental safety, experts say.
Novatek Denies Involvement With Arctic ‘Shadow Fleet’, Official Records Suggest Otherwise Russia's largest natural gas producers Novatek, issued a forceful statement that it is not involved in the establishment of the LNG shadow fleet. However, sanctions documents and a company report showing office addresses and ownership structures tie the company to the operation.
Russian LNG ‘Shadow Fleet’ Operates in Norwegian Barents Sea Multiple LNG carriers of Russia’s emerging dark fleet continue to operate in the waters of Northern Norway spoofing their AIS transponder signal to “disappear” and load sanctioned liquefied natural gas. The vessels carry no or insufficient maritime insurance and fly black-listed flags with a poor safety record and are considered high risk.
Russian LNG Carrier Goes Dark in Norway’s Arctic Waters to Circumvent Sanctions A Russia-affiliated LNG carrier circled for two weeks to the North of Norway. It disappeared sending out false vessel tracking signals, traveled to sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 and reappeared this week off Norway’s coast.
Chinese Wison New Energies Ceases Work on Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 Project In a surprise move Wison New Energies announced that it would halt all work with Russia. The company has been a key contributor to Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project. Its move could also be an attempt to shield itself from future sanctions, days after another Chinese yard was placed under sanctions by the U.S.
EU Bans Resale of Russian LNG, Impacts Remain to be Seen After much debate and wrangling the EU and its member states are set to sanction the transshipment of Russian liquefied natural gas in EU ports. It will take months for the impact of the ban, which is suggested to come into effect in March 2025, to become apparent. In anticipation of sanctions Novatek has begun assembling a growing fleet of LNG carriers.
Russia’s Novatek to Complete Arctic LNG 2 by 2026 Despite Sanctions Novatek aims to complete all three production lines of Arctic LNG 2 by 2026 with a tentative "sail away" date for Train 3 of July 2026, company communication shows. Western sanctions have been able to delay the project, but work at the Belokamenka LNG construction center continues.
Russian Shipyard To Deliver Critically Needed Arc7 LNG Carriers for Arctic LNG 2 Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 plant has now been sitting idle for nearly six months as Novatek has yet to receive any ice-capable LNG carriers for the project. The first two of five Arc7 vessels under construction at a Russian shipyard could become available later this year and begin LNG exports from the facility.
EU Looking to Pass 14th Sanctions Package End of June, Including Partial Ban on Russian LNG The pathway for the 14th EU sanctions package and related measures against Russia’s liquefied natural gas sector continues to materialize. European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson expressed optimism that the measures could be agreed upon by the end of June.
Upcoming EU Sanctions Look Set To Block Transshipment of Russian LNG, But Allow Imports The EU looks set to target existing Russian production of liquefied natural gas for the first time as part of the upcoming 14th sanction package. While previous sanctions focused on inhibiting future LNG projects, attention could now begin to shift to already producing facilities.
Russia Reduces LNG Forecasts As Western Sanctions Delay Arctic Projects The latest Russian forecasts for liquefied natural gas suggest that officials do not expect Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project to reach full capacity before 2026, even in the most optimistic scenario. In two more conservative scenarios the Ministry of the Economy does not expect Train 2 of Arctic LNG 2 to begin production before 2028.
Sweden Calls for Ban of Russian LNG Ahead of EU Meeting The EU continues to inch toward a comprehensive ban of Russian liquefied natural gas. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom confirmed the need to include LNG in the upcoming 14th sanctions package against Russia.
U.S. Teases New Sanctions Targeting Russian Arctic LNG; “There will be more, I promise” Official Says U.S. officials tease additional sanctions against Russian oil and gas industry, including Novatek’s future projects. Sanctions have proven especially effective against Arctic LNG projects by blocking the delivery of ice-capable tankers. The U.S. says it will further tighten the sanctions regime.
Russian LNG 2 Construction Yard Welcomes Final Module and Arrival of Hundreds of Chinese Workers Russian gas producer Novatek continues to assemble the next production line for Arctic LNG 2 all the while it shutters liquefaction of natural gas at the facility due to a lack of ice-capable LNG carriers. The company will look to the summer months, when conventional carriers can reach the project, to initiate shipments. The first conventional LNG carrier received a permit for the Northern Sea Route last week.
Latest Round of US and UK Sanctions Takes Aim at Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 Project The US and UK announced further sanctions against Russia´s Arctic LNG 2-project targeting ship construction in Russia and South Korea and Novatek’s Belokamenka assembly yard. The impact of three rounds of sanctions in the last six months continues to delay the first shipment from the project.
EU Countries Continue to Import $1bn of Russian Arctic LNG Every Month Almost two years into the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European countries continue to import Russian Arctic liquefied natural gas at record levels. A new report details how LNG now constitutes the primary Russian fossil fuel purchased by the EU, sending more than $1bn per month to the country.
New US Sanctions Target Russia's Arctic LNG 2 - “Our Objective is to Kill that Project” In a new sanctions package the US targets Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 facility with the explicit goal of shutting down the project. As part of congressional testimony, US officials said their aim is to “systematically reduce Russia's future energy revenue.” It is unclear if or to what degree existing European and Japanese partners in the project will comply with the new sanctions.
EU Received 300 Shipments of LNG from Russia Since Beginning of Ukraine War EU countries, led by Belgium, France, and Spain, have imported Russian LNG representing approximately $20 billion in revenue, since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Data show the pace of deliveries from the Yamal LNG project in 2023 is on track to match and possibly surpass last year’s totals.
Russia Expects Cooperation With Norway in the Barents Sea If Aker BP discovers commercially viable oil and gas resources in Stangnestind, Norway and Russia will be required to cooperate due to the Norwegian-Russian Barents Sea delimitation agreement.
