Sanctioned Russian ship unloads fuel into storage after failing to find buyer - media

Bloomberg reported the information.

It was reported that the Russian tanker Pioneer had a four-month journey but returned to Russia and offloaded the fuel there, “having failed to find a buyer willing to circumvent U.S. restrictions.”

The news agency tracked the route of the sanctioned ship. Bloomberg notes that the Pioneer was spotted on satellite images in early August when it picked up the first batch of liquefied gas from the Arctic LNG 2 plant. However, on Thursday, December 26, the Russian vessel docked at the Koryak floating storage in Kamchatka. It is likely that the gas will be stored there until a buyer is found.

It is emphasized that Pioneer, Koryak, and Arctic LNG 2 are under U.S. sanctions.

“The lengthy journey underlines just how U.S. restrictions are hampering Moscow’s plans to expand LNG exports threefold by 2030,” the article states.

Bloomberg adds that Russia exported several batches from the Arctic LNG 2 plant using a "shadow fleet," but none reached foreign ports as potential buyers "fear retaliation from the US."

"Arctic LNG 2 was forced to temporarily shut production in October due to a lack of both buyers and vessels able to navigate the facility’s icy waters. Russia is rushing to build ice-breaker vessels, with ship-tracking data indicating that the first such tanker is undergoing sea trials," the news agency emphasizes.

• In September, the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on companies and ships that are illegally trying to move gas from the sanctioned Russian Arctic LNG 2 project.
• On December 24, WP reported that the current U.S. President Joe Biden was considering imposing new sanctions on Russia's energy sector in the last weeks of his term.