Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’ Loads First LNG in Eight Months Signaling Breakthrough in Search for Buyer

After months of inactivity Russia’s nascent fleet of sanctioned LNG carriers is on the move again. The 79,800-cbm Arctic Mulan (ex-Mulan) pulled alongside the 360,000-cbm Koryak FSU inside Bechevinskaya Bay in Kamchatka late on June 2. The LNG carrier has been in ballast for the past five months suggesting that it will be receiving cargo from the storage barge.

Last week industry insiders had pointed to Arctic Mulan’s recent dash from the Mediterranean to Koryak in the Far East as an early indication that Novatek’s protracted search to find a buyer for sanctioned gas from Arctic LNG 2 may have concluded. Sources say that a buyer has possibly been lined up for the sanctions-busting sale, possibly in China, though the destination of Arctic Mulan currently remains unknown. 

Arctic Mulan previously loaded LNG from the Arctic LNG 2 project on September 22, 2024, subsequently discharging its cargo into the Saam FSU near Murmansk on December 20, 2024. Since then the vessel has sat idle in the North Sea and subsequently in the Eastern Mediterranean. It began a speedy trip across the Suez Canal, the Indian Ocean, and up towards Kamchatka on May 1.

The vessel also received a Northern Sea Route permit on May 28 clearing it to sail the Arctic shipping lane between July 1 and October 31; a further indication that the vessel could be used for renewed attempts to load at Arctic LNG 2 this summer. 

Fellow shadow fleet vessel Nova Energy (ex-New Energy) may be next in line to load supercooled gas at Koryak. The gas carrier is holding position outside Bechevinskaya Bay. Unlike other dark fleet vessels, which discharged their cargo into Koryak and sister barge Saam starting last fall when no buyers could be found, Nova Energy remains loaded with product originally received at Arctic LNG 2 on October 2, 2024. 

However, losses from boil-off during the last eight months could total around 30-40 percent of the originally loaded volume. A visit to Koryak in the coming days would suggest a top-up of its cargo tanks to then follow Arctic Mulan to potential buyers.

When loading at Arctic LNG 2 last year a number of shadow fleet LNGC engaged in deceptive practices disengaging or spoofing their AIS signals. A similar attempt may be under way currently by Nova Energy displaying irregularities in its signal, though it is too early to tell to what end.

Koryak FSU has been visited by three shadow fleet carriers previously. Arctic Metagaz (ex-Everest Energy) called at the storage barge on September 22, 2024, followed by Sputnik Energy (ex-Pioneer) discharging its cargo on December 25, 2024. The final transfer to Koryak came on February 11, 2025 by East Energy (ex-Asya Energy). This left the FSU without any additional capacity. If Novatek, the majority owner of Arctic LNG 2, hopes to utilize Koryak as a transshipment hub this summer it will have to begin clearing cargoes.

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