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The Department of State said in a statement on Wednesday that it continues to designate entities involved in the development of Russia’s future energy production and export capacity.
The Department is designating one company involved in the transportation of highly specialized LNG modules and gravity-based structure (GBS) equipment designed specifically for Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project, it said.
In addition, it is designating a network of shipping companies based in the UAE and Singapore that are involved in the procurement of LNG carriers for Russia’s Novatek, an “entity subject to less than full-blocking measures, and the future export of Russian-origin LNG,” it said.
According to the Department, Smart Solutions Ltd provided various gravity-based structure parts to US-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2.
Smart Solutions was the charterer of the blocked vessels Audax and Pugnax which delivered liquefaction modules and other critical materials for Arctic LNG 2.
Four blocked LNG carriers
In an attempt to circumvent US sanctions and revitalize Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project, Russian companies have engaged in efforts to procure secondhand LNG tankers, predominantly through front companies in third-country jurisdictions, to make up for a critical shortage of available tankers for the Arctic LNG 2 project, the Department said.
In August, the Department designated White Fox Ship Management, a UAE-based ship management company which “continues to manage four blocked LNG carriers that have transshipped LNG from Russia’s Yamal and Arctic LNG 2 projects,” it said.
“Today’s actions target the registered owners of those four blocked LNG carriers, as well as a UAE-based company involved in the procurement of the vessels and their leasing to Novatek,” it said.
New Transhipment
According to the Department, LNG Alpha Shipping is majority-owned by New Transhipment and is the registered owner of US-designated North Air, an LNG carrier that was procured to expand Russia’s LNG export capacity.
LNG Alpha Shipping is directed by Russian nationals, and is a joint venture created for the construction and long-term charter of LNG carriers to Novatek, it said.
The Department said that New Transhipment is a Novatek subsidiary based in the UAE and is involved in the procurement and leasing of four blocked LNG carriers to Novatek.
It also designated three entities, which are majority-owned by New Transhipment.
The entities are LNG Beta Shipping, LNG Delta Shipping, and LNG Gama Shipping.
These entities own the LNG carriers North Mountain, North Way, and North Sky, according to the Department.
In August, the US government sanctioned these four LNG carriers and three other vessels Asya Energy, Everest Energy, and Pioneer-
After that, US imposed sanctions on two more LNG carriers tied to the Novatek-operated Arctic LNG 2 project in Russia.
The UK government also imposed sanctions on nine LNG vessels.
Russian LNG producer Novatek previously denied it is establishing a “shadow fleet” of LNG carriers to transport LNG from its Arctic LNG 2 project.
“The allegations made in the media, namely that the company is involved in the establishment and management of a shadow fleet, as well as in loading products from the Arctic LNG 2 project, are untrue and do not stand up to facts,” the company said.
Arctic LNG 2
In August, Novatek delivered the second gravity-based structure platform from its yard near Murmansk to the site of the Arctic LNG 2 project located on the Gydan peninsula.
Novatek completed the second GBS despite sanctions by the US and the EU related to the Arctic LNG 2 project.
The first GBS left the Belokamenka yard in July last year and Novatek completed the installation on the underbase foundation on the seabed at the Utrenniy terminal in August.
The first and second GBS each have a capacity of about 6.6 mtpa.
Novatek is the LNG project’s operator with a 60 percent stake. France’s TotalEnergies owns 10 percent, while CNPC and CNOOC of China each have 10 percent.
