The 'Mercury' exhibits the typical characteristics of a 'shadow fleet' vessel: it is one of the oldest LNG tankers in the world, and its new owner is virtually unknown in the market.

The tanker Mercury (IMO 9262170, MMSI 273430250 - sailing under the flag of Russia.)is loading gas from the Arctic LNG 2 project, which is subject to sanctions. Russia is expanding its 'shadow fleet' to export fuel to Asia and bypass US sanctions. Fuel is likely to be loaded from the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project by the liquefied natural gas tanker "Mercury," which recently switched to the Russian flag. This information was reported by Bloomberg, according to UNN.

 The Saam floating storage unit

The Kpler service has reported that a vessel is moored near the Saam floating storage unit (IMO 9915090, MMSI 273256300), which is located near Murmansk. This unit is used for storing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S.-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project. Oman Ship Management Co. previously managed the tanker, but later transferred it to the little-known company Celtic Maritime & Trading SA through opaque intermediaries.

Russia is attempting to boost its LNG exports to Asia

Amid high demand and supply issues resulting from the Strait of Hormuz being effectively closed, Bloomberg notes that Russia is attempting to boost its LNG exports to Asia. The agency reports that Moscow is offering gas at significantly reduced prices to attract buyers

Related : An oil tanker suspected of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet is intercepted by the French navy.

The 'Mercury' exhibits the typical characteristics of a 'shadow fleet' vessel:

The 'Mercury' exhibits the typical characteristics of a 'shadow fleet' vessel: it is one of the oldest LNG tankers in the world, and its new owner is virtually unknown in the market. According to vessel tracking data, three more former Omani LNG tankers that have changed their flag to Russian are en route to, or have already arrived in, the Arctic. They may also be involved in transporting fuel from projects subject to U.S. sanctions.

About : The Russian shadow fleet

The Russian shadow fleet is a clandestine network of hundreds of vessels operated by Russia to evade sanctions, following the enactment of the 2022 Russian crude oil price cap sanctions by the G7 countries and the European Union (EU), in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to Al Jazeera, Russia uses a shadow fleet to transport sanctioned goods, in particular oil, while flying non-Russian flags to evade scrutiny.

A November 2024 briefing by the European Parliamentary Research Service revealed that the terms "shadow fleet", "dark fleet", and "grey fleet" are not clearly defined and are often used interchangeably. However, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has established a precise definition, stating that a "dark fleet" or "shadow fleet" refers to "ships engaged in illegal operations to circumvent sanctions, evade compliance with safety or environmental regulations, avoid insurance costs, or engage in other illicit activities".

Source : Agencies Image : Vessel Finder

#The Russian shadow fleet#IMO #The tanker Mercury #Oman Ship Management#U.S. sanctions #Saam floating storage # Strait of Hormuz# LNG exports