A tanker belonging to what is known as the “Shadow Fleet” for transporting liquefied natural gas, retreated from an attempt to load fuel from an export terminal subject to US sanctions in the Russian Arctic, likely due to the accumulation of ice, which represents an additional challenge for Moscow as it seeks to increase shipments.
The Buran tanker, which was sanctioned by the United States last year, headed toward the Arctic LNG 2 export terminal in late November, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.
Ship data showed that the tanker circled near the Gulf of Ob before returning towards Murmansk over the weekend
Shipping bottlenecks and curtailed deliveries
Although the facility has exported more than one million tons of liquefied natural gas since June, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, shipping bottlenecks mean that the terminal will have to reduce deliveries.
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As the ice thickens during the winter months, movement to and from the station on the Gydan Peninsula in northern Russia becomes more difficult.
Buran is classified as an Arc4 icebreaker class carrier, which means it is able to sail in waters when the ice is thinner.
The only tanker in the Russian shadow fleet
There is one Arc7-class tanker in the Russian shadow fleet, the Christophe de Margerie, which is capable of sailing in frozen areas throughout the year.
