US-Sanctioned Tanker Heads To Russian Export Terminal Supplying Europe
A liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker that is currently under US sanctions is sailing toward a major Russian export terminal. The tanker, named Iris, was previously known as North Sky and was sanctioned by the United States in 2023.
Per ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg, the vessel is currently en route to Sabetta, a remote port in northern Siberia that serves as the base for the Yamal LNG export terminal. The ship is expected to arrive by June 26.
Yamal LNG, Russia’s largest liquefied natural gas export terminal, continues to deliver natural gas to Europe. While the plant remains operational and free from direct sanctions, loading fuel onto a vessel that has already been blacklisted could put the terminal under renewed scrutiny from the US and its allies.
So far, both the United States and Europe have avoided imposing sanctions directly on Yamal LNG in order to maintain steady gas supplies to European markets.
Current Developments
According to the international shipping database Equasis, the Iris changed its ship management in April to a Russian-based company named ELEGEST OOO. This change is part of a growing pattern where sanctioned or shadow fleet ships change owners or managers to keep operating around the world.
It remains unclear whether the Iris will actually dock at Yamal and take on cargo. There’s also a possibility that it may instead continue sailing south to another Russian LNG facility, Arctic LNG 2, which was sanctioned by the US in 2023.
Arctic LNG 2 has not exported any shipments since October.
The earlier sanctions targeted the Arctic LNG 2 plant and several ships believed to be part of Russia’s shadow fleet, as the previous U.S. administration aimed to slow Moscow’s energy export growth.
Despite these efforts, many foreign energy buyers have so far been hesitant to deal with LNG from sanctioned sources, further limiting the global trade in blacklisted Russian fuel.
Novatek PJSC, the Russian company leading the Yamal LNG project, did not respond to requests for comment on the Iris’s journey or whether the vessel would be allowed to load at the terminal.
References: bloomberg, USM