Russian President Vladimir Putin observes Novatek’s LNG equipment manufacturing facility in Murmansk
Moving Russian LNG into the shadows
Russia may be looking to create a dark fleet of LNG carriers to get around sanctions on Arctic LNG 2, but it will be hard to replicate its success with shadow oil tankers
Russia has defied Western sanctions on its oil exports in no small part thanks to the amassing of a large so-called ‘dark’ fleet of crude tankers. These vessels have opaque ownership, frequently switch from flag to flag of convenience and change their names, while hiding their movements and making ship-to-ship transfers on the open sea. These deceptive practices help mask the true origin of the oil and petroleum products, their destination and how they are transported, in order to circumvent sanctions. And this has largely been a success. Russia continues to sell its oil and petroleum products above price caps set by the EU and the US, and these exports are still sometimes finding their way,
Also in this section
6 February 2026
The long close relationship between key supplier Qatar and pivotal buyer Japan becomes even deeper following new landmark deal
6 February 2026
Partnerships across the LNG value chain have evolved over time, growing in both complexity and importance, according to panellists at LNG2026
6 February 2026
Nigeria's mega-refinery is still trying to solve many challenges, all while its owner talks up expansion
5 February 2026
While broadly supportive of EU efforts to tackle methane emissions, representatives of the gas industry warn it could deter supply contracting if timelines and compliance requirements are not made more pragmatic
