Part of Arctic LNG 2 under construction near Belokamenka in Murmansk
Russia’s quest for energy ‘technological sovereignty’, part 2
The country faces big challenges as it seeks to replace Western suppliers when it comes to LNG carriers, while sanctions have all-but halted its petrochemicals expansion
Russia has been locked out of Western oil and gas technologies since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, it has been seeking substitutes and has a programme to become more self-reliant. In the midstream, Russia produces all the components used to build pipelines, oil and gas treatment facilities, compressor units and cryogenic heat exchangers itself. The biggest challenge, as Petroleum Economist has reported in depth, is in the LNG sector. While Russia’s import substitution programme has achieved some important feats, including the development of domestic liquefaction technology, building LNG carriers “is a big headache for the country”, said Matthew Hale, senior vice-pre
Also in this section
10 March 2026
By shutting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has cut exports of distillate-rich Middle Eastern crude, jet fuel and diesel, and is holding the energy market hostage
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
9 March 2026
Energy sanctions are becoming an increasingly prominent tool of US foreign policy, with the country’s growth in oil and gas production allowing it to impose pressure on rivals without jeopardising its own energy security or that of its allies, argues Matthew McManus, a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics
