With backing from Beijing, LNG carrier sails Arctic route to banned Russian gas terminal

By Atle Staalesen, The Barents Observer November 21, 2025
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The Buran is part of a tanker fleet that continues to shuttle to Novatek’s sanctioned LNG terminal in the far northern Gydan Peninsula. The Russian company now gives Chinese buyers a major discount on gas from the Arctic LNG 2 project.

‘Shadow fleet’ tankers shuttle on Northern Sea Route with liquified gas from Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project. Chinese buyers now get a major discount on the sanctioned LNG. Photo: Novatek

The 293-metre-long gas carrier arrived in the port of Utrenny on November 14, and a few days later set out from the ice-covered Gulf of Ob. On November 20, the tanker was on its way into the Kara Sea with the course for China.

After having sailed the Northern Sea Route from China, the Buran on November 20, 2025 set out from the port of Utrenny fully loaded with gas from the Arctic LNG 2 project.
Map: goradar.ru

Utrenny is the name of the terminal of the Arctic LNG 2. The major Russian gas project is built on the tundra of the Gydan Peninsula. It has been sanctioned by the US since 2023 and the UK since 2024.

The international ban against the Arctic LNG 2 notwithstanding, production at the project’s two gravity-based production structures has continued and LNG carriers have made at least 12 shipments to the Utrenneye terminal in 2025.

It is China that is keeping the controversial project running. And the backing from Beijing is likely to continue. Project owner Novatek is now granting Chinese buyers a major discount on LNG from the project.

According to Reuters, Chinese companies can now buy gas from the Arctic LNG 2 with a 30-40 percent discount.

It is the Buran and its sister vessels Iris, Voskhod and Zarya that serve the Russian-Chinese cooperation.

The four tankers, all of them on international sanction lists, are operating as ‘shadow vessels’ for Novatek. In April 2025, they all changed names. The North Air, North Mountain, North Sky and North Way became Buran, Voskhod, Iris and Zarya  respectively. They also changed their flag state from Panama to Russia.

The ships all have standard Arc4, which allows them to sail in light sea ice. Under tougher conditions, Arc4 tankers need escort from icebreakers.

As the Buran made its way across the Northern Sea Route in early November this year it was escorted by the nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika.

Located in Kirkenes, Norway, just a few kilometres from the borders to Russia and Finland, the Barents Observer is dedicated to cross-border journalism in Scandinavia, Russia and the wider Arctic.

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