The Department of State said in a statement on Thursday it is targeting two entities and two vessels connected to attempts to export LNG from the US-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project.
According to the statement, the Department is sanctioning Gotik Energy Shipping Co (Gotik) and Plio Energy Cargo Shipping OPC PVT LTD (Plio Energy).
Gotik and Plio Energy are the registered owner and commercial manager, respectively, of the LNG carrier New Energy, the Department said.
The 2007-built LNG carrier has a capacity of 150,000 cbm.
“LNG/C New Energy used deceptive shipping practices, including shutting off its automatic identification system, to load cargo from the US-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project via a ship-to-ship transfer on August 25, 2024, with LNG/C Pioneer, a vessel blocked by the United States on August 23, 2024,” it said.
“We are also identifying one additional vessel managed and operated by Plio Energy, LNG/C Mulan, as property in which Plio Energy has an interest,” the Department said.
This 2024-built vessel has a capacity of 79,800 cbm.
“The US government will continue to answer attempts to operationalize the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project or otherwise expand Russia’s energy capabilities with a swift response,” the Department
Last month, the US government has imposed sanctions on seven LNG carriers tied to the Novatek-operated Arctic LNG 2 and Yamal LNG projects.
According to the US Treasury and the Department of State, the LNG carriers include Asya Energy, Everest Energy, Pioneer, North Air, North Mountain, North Sky, and North Way.
With these two vessels, this now puts the total to nine LNG carriers.
Russian LNG exporter Novatek recently delivered the second gravity-based structure platform from its yard near Murmansk to the site of the Arctic LNG 2 project located on the Gydan peninsula, according to reports.
The second GBS left the Belokamenka yard under tow on July 26, and the installation of the unit at the Arctic LNG 2 site was expected to start in mid-August, Kommersant said in a previous report.
Novatek completed the second GBS despite sanctions by the US and the EU related to the Arctic LNG 2 project.
The first GBS left the Belokamenka yard in July last year and Novatek completed the installation on the underbase foundation on the seabed at the Utrenniy terminal in August.
This 330 meters long, 152 meters wide, and 90 meters high platform weighs 640,000 tonnes and is the heaviest object ever moved in the history of the global LNG industry, Novatek claims.
The train consists of topside modules with the equipment to produce and offload LNG and stable gas condensate, installed on a concrete gravity-based structure, which accommodates LNG and condensate storage tanks.
The first and second GBS each have a capacity of about 6.6 mtpa, while the Arctic LNG 2 project also previously included the construction of the third GBS.
The resource base of the Arctic LNG 2 project is the Utrenneye field located on the Gydan Peninsula in the YaNAO, about 70 km from the Novatek-operated Yamal LNG project across the Gulf of Ob.
Novatek is the LNG project’s operator with a 60 percent stake, France’s TotalEnergies owns 10 percent, while CNPC and CNOOC of China have 10 percent, each.
Japan Arctic LNG, a consortium of Mitsui & Co and Jogmec, owns a 10 percent stake in the project as well.
In January, TotalEnergies initiated a force majeure process on the Arctic LNG 2 project in Russia due to sanctions.
In March 2022, TotalEnergies said it would no longer provide capital and book proven reserves for the Arctic LNG 2 project due to the uncertainty created by the technological and financial sanctions on the ability to carry out the development.
After that, TotalEnergies wrote down its 19.4 percent stake in Novatek and withdrew the representatives of the company from the board of Novatek.
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