The Christophe de Margerie ice-class LNG tanker docked in the Russian Arctic port of Sabetta in 2017
Russian LNG scrambling to emulate oil’s success
A sanctions-defying ‘shadow fleet’ is being assembled, but it remains unclear where Russia will sell the liquefied gas while Arctic LNG 2 remains strangled by sanctions
Russia has largely been able to circumvent Western sanctions on its crude exports, with flows moving away from their former customers in Europe and towards new markets in China and India. At the same time, product flows have also diverted to fresh buyers, including the Middle East and Latin America. But Moscow has so far struggled to replicate that success with its LNG exports. Shipments from Yamal continue to go to or via Europe, and the bloc’s imports of Russian LNG even increased by 11% year-on-year in the first half of 2024, while LNG from Sakhalin is still dispatched to buyers in East Asia. A newer development, Arctic LNG 2, faced additional Western sanctions and restrictions, delaying
Also in this section
28 March 2025
The Central Asian country is positioning itself as a low-carbon leader, but antiquated infrastructure and a dependence on Russia are holding it back
28 March 2025
MCEDD 2025 took place in Madrid this week with record attendance and a wide-ranging programme, reflecting the deepwater sector’s renewed momentum, strategic focus and accelerating technological innovation.
27 March 2025
Awards celebrate global innovation, leadership and achievement across the energy sector’s people, projects, technologies and companies.
26 March 2025
Well-functioning democracies are required for healthier economies and a thriving oil industry
