A 19-year-old vessel, reflagged and transferred to Russian ownership, loaded LNG from the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project.
Russia has added a 19-year-old LNG tanker, formerly the Queen Cassiopeia, to its dark fleet after transferring ownership to St. Petersburg-based SMP Techmanagement LLC in mid-May. The vessel, now named Arctic Express, loaded a cargo from a floating storage facility tied to the Arctic LNG 2 project, which faces U.S. sanctions.
The Arctic LNG 2 project has ramped up production despite restrictions, with Russia increasingly relying on its dark fleet to bypass sanctions. The vessel previously sailed under a Sierra Leone flag and was managed by a Greek firm before its ownership change.
The expansion of Russia’s dark fleet underscores efforts to maintain LNG exports amid sanctions, though the long-term impact on global supply remains uncertain.