Sanctioned LNG Carrier Approaches Russian Arctic Export Plants Following Nine-Month Freeze 

Following a nine-month hiatus Russia’s LNG shadow fleet is on the move again.

Sanctioned LNG carrier Iris (ex-North Sky) passed through the Kara Gate entering Russia’s Northern Sea Route on June 24, likely heading for the Arctic LNG 2 plant. The move comes after the vessel spent months in ballast idling in the Barents Sea.

Iris’ course in direction of the sanctioned liquefied natural gas project may signal the start of a second summer of dark fleet activity in the Arctic Ocean. 

“The key is that Iris is now passing Kara Gate. The most likely destination is Arctic LNG 2 in my opinion,” says Kjell Eikland, managing director of data provider Eikland Energy.

The vessel is currently displaying Sabetta as destination on AIS; possibly a ruse. A visit by a blocked LNG carrier to the unsanctioned Yamal LNG project would be a highly unusual and potentially risky move by project owner Novatek.

For much of the past nine months a dozen sanctioned LNG carriers have remained largely idle and scattered across the Barents Sea on the European side and the Sea of Japan in the Far East, waiting for Arctic sea ice to recede.

In recent months vessels of the shadow fleet engaged in a maritime game of chess, with some carriers heading to a Chinese yard for maintenance, with others loading and reloading unsold cargoes from floating storage.

Analysts tried to make sense of these moves, but no clear pattern emerged. 

With sea ice rapidly receding the door is now open for low ice-class and eventually conventional LNG carriers to make their way to Arctic ‘LNG 2 on the shores of the Gulf of Ob.

“The Novorossiysk icebreaker is at Utrenniye/Arctic LNG 2, which could indicate that some traffic is planned. Ice conditions should be Ok for a slow-moving ice-class Arc4, but interesting to see if the icebreaker takes a trip to open up a lane,” highlights Eikland.

Satellite images have shown continuous flaring activity at both production lines for the past several weeks. 

“Overall flaring profile would suggest that there has been regular production since about May 7th, so tanks are most likely full. Hence, time for an Arc4 LNG carrier,” explains Eikland.

However, a key question remains; will Russian energy firm Novatek, the project’s majority owner, be able to secure any buyers for its sanctioned LNG. Between August and October 2024 the company managed to load eight cargoes, but none have found a buyer willing to defy U.S. sanctions. More than a million cubic meters of LNG remain unsold in floating storage.

Iris (ex-North Sky) is part of a series of newbuild LNG carriers of the so-called North-Series. They encompass North Air, North Mountain, and North Way. The vessels were sanctioned by the U.S.and the EU in October and December 2024, as part of efforts to constrain Russia’s ability to expand its LNG export capacity. 

All four ships have since been reflagged from Panama to Russia and renamed to Buran, Voskhod, and Zarya. Constructed by South Korean shipyard Hanwha Ocean, they were intended for service with Arctic LNG 2. 

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