Headline: Russia to Launch Ship-to-Ship LNG Transfers at Sea

Russia is preparing to initiate ship-to-ship transfers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and gas condensate in the Barents and Bering Seas as a strategic move to optimize LNG transportation. This initiative aims to free up the ice-class tankers of Russia's largest LNG producer, Novatek, in the face of challenges posed by Western sanctions.

According to a draft project document, the plan involves using existing ice-class vessels to transport LNG along the Northern Sea Route to Asian markets and then transfer their cargoes at sea to conventional vessels. This will allow the specialized tankers to be quickly redeployed for new shipments.

The European Union has announced that Russian LNG loadings will be banned at EU ports starting March 2025, adding urgency to Russia's efforts to find alternative transportation methods.

The first location for these ship-to-ship operations is planned near Chosha Bay in the Barents Sea, designated for Obsky Ammiak, a subsidiary of Novatek. A second facility with equivalent capacity is planned for development in Kresta Bay in the Bering Sea.

Transfers, expected to facilitate the loading of 4.1 million cubic meters of LNG and 1.4 million cubic meters of gas condensate annually at each site, will occur only when sea conditions are not impeded by ice. Novatek has previously employed a similar strategy for LNG transfers off the coast of the Murmansk region.

Novatek has yet to respond to requests for comments on the new development.