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The Mulan has sailed back-and-forth in the North Sea following its transhipment of LNG in the Ura Bay, Kola Peninsula. Map: MarineTraffic

Sanctioned shadow fleet gas carrier zigzags between Norwegian oil platforms

Following its transshipment of natural gas from Russia's sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, the Mulan has been sailing in circles in the North Sea.

Atle Staalesen

2 January 2025 - 16:39

For more than a week, the 236 meter long LNG carrier has been sailing back-and-forth in the North Sea. 

On the 20 December, the Mulan sailed into the Ura Bay on the Kola Peninsula, presumably to engage in a transhipment operation with the Saam FSU. It subsequently set course for Norwegian waters. Since the 26 December, it has been sailing it circles south of Norway's exclusive economic zone. 

 

The Mulan has sailed in circles for more than one week. Map: NAIS Norwegian Coastal Administration

The Mulan is a brand new vessel. It was built at the Chinese Jiangnan Shipyard and set out on its maiden voyage in spring 2024.

Judging from ship traffic data, the tanker is on its way to Port Said in Egypt. The circling in the North Sea is likely to be related to its shipment of sanctioned gas.

 

The Mulan in the North Sea. Map: NAIS Norwegian Coastal Administration

The Mulan is part of the so-called shadow fleet that serves Russia's sanctions-ridden oil and gas industry. Like most of the shadow fleet, it has a muddled ownership structure. It was originally owned by Chinese shipping company Jovo, but soon acquired by the Russian-controlled Nur Global Shipping in Dubai.

Ultimately, it ended up in the hands of India-registered company Plio Energy Cargo Shipping.

In September 2024, the Plio Energy was added the US sanctions list. According to the US Treasury, the company uses "deceptive shipping practices, including shutting off its automatic identification system, to load cargo from the U.S.-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project via a ship-to-ship transfer […]."

Any vessel or company that takes part in activities related to the Arctic LNG 2 risk sanctions from US and EU authorities.

A number of vessels are already on the sanctions list. In addition to the Mulan, also the New Energy and the Pioneer are sanctioned. All of the ships have been in the far northern Gulf of Ob to load LNG from the Utrenny terminal.

Since it loaded natural gas in Utrenny last fall, the Pioneer ended up sailing on the world sea for several months without finding a buyer for the sanctioned gas. It ultimately ended up reloading the LNG to the Russian Koryak FSU in Kamchatka.

Russian natural gas company Novatek planned to make the Arctic LNG 2 a grand flagship energy project in the Arctic. But the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has put a stop to developments, and the project is now paralysed by international restrictive measures.

 

The Saam FSU arrived in the Ura Guba in June 2023. Photo: Kola town on VK

On the international sanctions list is also the Saam FSU. The 400 meter long floating storage unit was built to serve as transhipment hub for the Arctic LNG 2, but has since June 2023 been lying idle in the Ura Bay on Russia's Barents Sea coast.  

The Saam FSU is the sister vessel of the Koryak FSU in Kamchatka.