Novatek Expands Sanctioned Arctic LNG Fleet to China

Russian natural gas company Novatek and its partners are expanding their tanker fleet to export more Arctic LNG to China. The expansion comes as the sea ice in the Arctic reaches its lowest level of the year, allowing for historic high shipments on the Northern Sea Route.

The fleet now serves the heavily sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, with at least 18 gas carriers involved. Among them are Novatek's own Aleksey Kosygin and Konstantin Posiet, as well as the Christophe de Margerie. In addition, a series of carriers are involved in shipments from the Saam FSU in Ura Bay on the Kola Peninsula and the Koryak FSU in Bechevinskaya Bay on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

According to Reuters, tankers have exported 2.3 million tonnes of LNG from Arctic LNG 2 to the Chinese port of Benhai so far in 2026, with a total of 31 shipments made. The Voskhod, Arctic Pioneer, and Arctic Vostok are among the carriers involved.

Novatek is also acquiring at least six more carriers, including the Merkuriy, Luch, and Kosmos. Several of these new additions have loaded LNG in the waters outside the Kola Peninsula in 2026. The Avacha was part of a transshipment at the Saam FSU in mid-August.