Malte Humpert

Malte Humpert is an investigative journalist for gCaptain and High North News, and Senior Fellow at The Arctic Institute, which he founded in 2011. Based in Tahoe City, California, his research focuses on Arctic geopolitics, Northern Sea Route shipping, and China's interests in the polar region. He was the first journalist to report on Maersk's historic 2018 container ship voyage through the Arctic. His analysis has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and The Economist. Malte holds a Master's degree in European Studies from Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.


Saturday, August 10, 2024
Asya Energy, called LNG Rivers at the time, in 2017 off the coast of Las Palmas, Spain. (Source: With permission by Alan Soutar)
Shipping

Blink and You’ll Miss It: Russia Deploys Second ‘Stealth’ LNG Tanker to Sanctioned Gas Project

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Russia continues its game of Arctic hide and seek attempting to dispatch LNG carriers undetected to its sanctioned Arctic

August 10, 2024
Total Views: 6157

Friday, August 9, 2024
The Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB-20), a polar-class ice breaker, transits Southeast Alaskan waters Nov. 24, 2018. U.S. Coast Guard Photo
Defense

U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Presence Goes Up in Smoke As Icebreaker Healy Suffers Fire

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – U.S. Coast Guard presence in the Arctic has taken another hit. Icebreaker USCGC Healy suffered an engineering compartment

August 9, 2024
Total Views: 36773

Wednesday, August 7, 2024
LNGC Pioneer traveling in a southwesterly direction around 100 nm off Norway’s northern coast on August 7. (Source: Sentinel Hub)
Shipping

‘Shadow Fleet’ LNG Carrier Reemerges Off Norway After Calling at Sanctioned Arctic LNG 2

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – A week after calling at Russia’s sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier Pioneer has

August 7, 2024
Total Views: 5505

Monday, August 5, 2024
Flex LNG CEO Oeystein Kalleklev (Source: Flex LNG)
Shipping

Flex LNG CEO Kalleklev: Russia is Putting Together LNG ‘Shadow Fleet’ and Will Find Buyers

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – The first loading of liquefied natural gas aboard a “dark vessel” at Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 confirms months of

August 5, 2024
Total Views: 1674

Saturday, August 3, 2024
Novatek’s Arctic LNG project in the Russian Arctic. (Source: Novatek)
Offshore

Exclusive: Russia Appears to Load First Arctic LNG 2 Cargo on ‘Shadow Fleet’ Vessel

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Russia’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer Novatek appears to have loaded the first cargo from its sanctioned Arctic

August 3, 2024
Total Views: 7222

Monday, July 29, 2024
Chinese container ship NewNew Polar Bear in a convoy on the Northern Sea Route during an eastbound voyage in October 2023. (Source: Rosatomflot)
Shipping

Chinese Container Ships Take Arctic Shortcut Avoiding Red Sea

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Two Chinese container ships have set course for the Arctic. The vessels intend to use Russia’s Northern Sea Route as a

July 29, 2024
Total Views: 25458

Friday, July 26, 2024
Floating LNG platform of Arctic LNG 2 being towed from Murmansk to the Gydan peninsula in the Arctic. (Source: Press Service of the Border Directorate of the FSB)
Offshore

Russia Launches World’s Largest Floating LNG Facility Under Military Protection

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Russia isn’t taking any chances during the launch of its new flagship LNG project. Following ongoing Ukrainian operations

July 26, 2024
Total Views: 159686

Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Gravity-based platform (GBS) of Arctic LNG 2 under tow in August 2023. (Source: Novatek)
Shipping

Russia’s Novatek Readying Second Train of Arctic LNG 2 for Sailaway

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Russian LNG producer Novatek appears set to dispatch the next production line of its Arctic LNG 2 plant this week. 

July 24, 2024
Total Views: 1999

Monday, July 22, 2024
Sanctions Effective in Stopping Russia’s Arctic LNG 2, Says U.S. Official
Shipping

Sanctions Effective in Stopping Russia’s Arctic LNG 2, Says U.S. Official

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – U.S. sanctions have proven successful in suspending production at Arctic LNG 2 and delaying the expansion of the project,

July 22, 2024
Total Views: 1205

Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Arc7 ice-class LNG carrier Eduard Toll. (Source: Teekay)
Shipping

LNG Carrier Completes Arctic Voyage to China in 18 Days, Four More En Route

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – This year’s Arctic summer shipping season is off to a busy start. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) Carrier Eduard Toll

July 16, 2024
Total Views: 6151

Friday, July 12, 2024
CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent
Shipping

U.S. to Partner with Canada and Finland to Fix Icebreaker Program and Shipbuilding

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – The U.S. intends to create an Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) with Canada and Finland to overcome challenges of

July 12, 2024
Total Views: 2704

Thursday, July 11, 2024
Arctic LNG 2 employee overlooking the Belokamenka construction yard. (Source: Novatek)
Offshore

Exit of Chinese Yard Stops Work at Russia’s Arctic LNG 2, Murmansk LNG Delayed Indefinitely

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – The U.S. sanctions regime continues to curtail Russia’s flagship LNG project.  Days after Chinese company Wison New

July 11, 2024
Total Views: 1512

Monday, July 8, 2024
Wison New Energies’ Zhoushan yard. (Source: Wison New Energies)
Shipping

U.S. Sanctions Send Russian LNG Modules Back to China’s Wison Yard

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – After a three-month odyssey aboard Chinese heavy lift vessel Wei Xiao Tian Shi, two Russia-bound LNG modules are headed

July 8, 2024
Total Views: 10656

Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Rendering of Russia’s new “combat icebreaker.” (Source: Ministry of Defense)
Shipping

Russia’s New ‘Combat Icebreaker’ Heads For Sea Trials

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Russia continues to push forward with the rapid renewal and expansion of its icebreaker fleet. In addition to commissioning

July 2, 2024
Total Views: 6332

Thursday, June 27, 2024
Ship-to-ship transfer of Russian LNG from Yamal LNG near Honningsvåg on February 19, 2019. (Source: Courtesy of Kystverket / Norwegian Coastal Administration)
Shipping

Mounting Evidence Shows Russia Assembling Pieces for Potential LNG ‘Dark Fleet’

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Signs of a Russian effort to ready an Arctic LNG “dark fleet” continue to mount.  An increasing number of

June 27, 2024
Total Views: 7583

Monday, June 24, 2024
M/T NS Lotus. Photo: Darryl Brooks / Shutterstock.com
Shipping

EU Targets Russia’s Dark Fleet in Latest Sanctions

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – For the first time the EU is targeting specific vessels part of Russia’s dark fleet created to circumvent the oil price

June 24, 2024
Total Views: 1794

LNG carrier Eduard Toll on the Northern Sea Route. (Source: Teekay)
Shipping

Russian LNG Shipments via Arctic Resume, Easing Red Sea and Sanctions Constraints

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – As Arctic sea ice retreats for the summer months Russia’s Northern Sea Route is again open for business. Days after oil

June 24, 2024
Total Views: 2148

Thursday, June 20, 2024
Arc7 shuttle tanker loading crude oil at the Arctic Gate terminal. (GazpromNeft Shipping)
Shipping

Crude Oil Shipments Return to Arctic as Russia Sends Tanker To Asia

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Russia looks set to continue using the Arctic Ocean as a shortcut to deliver crude oil to Asia.  Even before the

June 20, 2024
Total Views: 2008

Thursday, June 13, 2024
Sanctioned ice-capable LNG carrier Alexey Kosygin at the Zvezda shipyard. (Source: Zvezda)
Shipping

U.S. Sanctions LNG Carriers and Chinese Yard to Disrupt Russian Energy Projects

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – New U.S. economic sanctions expand efforts to degrade Russia’s future energy production and export capacity. Measures

June 13, 2024
Total Views: 1137

Thursday, June 6, 2024
The Maersk containership Venta Maersk transits the Northern Sea Route on a one-off trial run of the Arctic route
Shipping

Russia Predicts Record Cargo Volume on Arctic Route, Aims for Year-Round Container Shipping

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – Russia continues to push ahead with plans to develop its Northern Sea Route into a year-round Arctic maritime shortcut. 

June 6, 2024
Total Views: 2318