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. 

The second gravity-based platform (GBS) of the Arctic LNG 2 plant is being readied for sailaway from the construction yard near Murmansk to the project site on the Gydan peninsula. It will take around three weeks to tow the massive 550,000 tons structure along 1,300 nautical miles through the Barents and Kara Sea. 

Measuring 300m x 128m the structure rivals Shell’s Prelude FLNG in size and weight. It is the largest floating LNG facility using the GBS approach in the world. 

Sources at the construction yard indicate sailway will likely align with this week’s high tide on July 24th or July 25th, when tides reach 3.75 m above mean sea level. Satellite images and AIS data show the flooding of the dry dock, the removal of gangways and bridges, and a fleet of tugs and offshore support vessels assembling outside the yard. 

The platform houses Arctic LNG 2’s second production line designed for 6.6 mta. Western sanctions blocking the delivery of turbines by American company Baker Hughes necessitated an extensive redesign to work with Chinese counterparts delaying completion by 12 months. 

The first production line arrived on the Gydan peninsula following a similar towing operation in August 2023. It began initial production in December 2023, but has yet to export any LNG following sanctions by the U.S. and the EU. 

“Putin hoped to ramp up output from Arctic LNG 2 during the first quarter of 2024 but has been unable to load even one cargo,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State of Energy Resources, Geoffrey Pyatt, told gCaptain last week. 

Last summer’s sailaway of GBS-1 involved more than a dozen tugs and support vessels, including monitoring by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) along the route. 

Russian energy projects have repeatedly been the target of Ukrainian operations, including facilities as far north as St. Petersburg, though no installations in the Arctic itself have been subject to strikes.

Novatek developed the LNG plant GBS concept almost a decade ago. It relies on a massive floating concrete structure the size of 8 football fields weighing in excess of 400,000 tonnes. Atop the platform a dozen modules, totaling an additional 120,000 tonnes, make up the LNG train. The platform also provides for 230,000 cubic meters of LNG storage. 

The company had hoped to serialize the manufacturing process to churn out additional GBS platforms for future LNG projects, including Murmansk LNG and Arctic LNG 1 and 3. 

However, Chinese construction yards increasingly display hesitation to deliver the required modules to Russia in violation of U.S. blocking measures. 

Wilson New Energies recalled two modules earlier in July after a three months voyage shortly before they were set to arrive near Murmansk, for fear of secondary sanction. Without contributions by Chinese yards, Novatek’s ability to complete additional GBS platforms will be curtailed at least in the short- to medium-term.

Following Wison’s exit from the project Novatek has reportedly ceased all work on Train 3 of Arctic LNG 2 and has placed its next project Murmansk LNG on hold indefinitely. 

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