China gets tenth cargo from Russia's Arctic LNG 2 despite sanctions

China has received its tenth shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project, according to data from LSEG and Kpler, despite ongoing U.S. and EU sanctions targeting the project. The Arctic Mulan tanker, also subject to Western sanctions, arrived at the Beihai LNG Terminal in Guangxi on October 17, as shown by Kpler data. Registered owner Zinnia International and commercial manager Skyhart Management Services, both based in India according to shipping database Equasis, oversaw the vessel.

The tanker had loaded its cargo from the Koryak floating storage unit in Kamchatka, eastern Russia, on October 4—a facility dedicated exclusively to Arctic LNG 2 shipments. The Arctic Mulan departed the Beihai terminal the following day.

PipeChina, which operates the Beihai LNG Terminal, has not responded to Reuters requests for comment.


Arctic LNG 2 was originally planned to be one of Russia’s largest LNG plants, with an annual production capacity of 19.8 million metric tons, before being targeted by U.S. sanctions in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Below is a list of tankers that have delivered Arctic LNG 2 cargoes to Beihai, based on Kpler data:

• Arctic Mulan (IMO 9864837) – August 28
  
  
• Voskhod (IMO 9953511) – September 6
  
  
• Zarya (IMO 9953535) – September 9
  
  
• Buran (IMO 9953509) – September 12
  
  
• Iris (IMO 9953523) – September 16
  
  
• Arctic Mulan (IMO 9864837) – September 22
  
  
• Arctic Vostok (IMO 9216298) – September 30
  
  
• La Perouse (IMO 9849887) – October 9
  
  
• Arctic Metagaz (IMO 9243148) – October 14
  
  
• Arctic Mulan (IMO 9864837) – October 17
  
  

Reuters was unable to obtain contact details for the registered owners or commercial managers of the tankers at the time of discharge. PipeChina has also not commented on previous deliveries.