Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
Russian liquefied natural gas shipments could be redirected to other parts of the world if the European Union bans the imports while refraining from sanctioning one of the key facilities where it is produced, the chief executive of TotalEnergies SE said.
France’s TotalEnergies is a shareholder in Novatek PJSC-led Yamal LNG plant in northern Russia, and holds a long-term contract to buy fuel from the facility, which, unlike several newer projects in the country, is not under restrictions.
“Up to me take the LNG and to bring it somewhere else than Europe, maybe to Turkey, to India,” Patrick Pouyanne told investors Monday in New York. “Turkey is not far from Europe, it’s not in the EU.”
Uncertainty over EU sanctions on Yamal facility
The remarks are some of the first and strongest coming from a major, long-term customer of Russia’s Yamal LNG export plant after the EU proposed a ban on all imports of Russian super-chilled fuel one year earlier than planned, from 2027, because of Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
The proposal would be part of a new sanctions package on Russia. But the bloc is also considering a ban as part of its roadmap to phase out Russian fossil fuels.
Global gas markets monitor potential supply impact
It’s not clear if there will be a ban on supplies or sanctions imposed on Yamal LNG, Pouyanne said. In case of sanctions on Yamal, TotalEnergies would have to stop deliveries of the Russian fuel and execute a force majeure, he added.
European gas traders have been closely monitoring moves by both the US and Europe to pressure Russia to end its war in Ukraine, as further sanctions on its energy exports could intensify global competition for cargoes. Russia is Europe’s second-biggest LNG provider after the US and before a wave of new supply arrives — expected to hit the market in 2026 and 2027 — restrictions could push prices higher in the near term.
“We are waiting to see what political leaders will do,” he said. “The last draft we’ve seen it was not sanction, it was more banning.”
Current contracts and future supply outlook
TotalEnegies has contracts for 5 million tonnes of LNG from Yamal, of which 2 million tonnes goes to Europe, 2 million tonnes is shipped to Asia and one is not geographically linked, he said.
Among other European long-term buyers of Russian LNG are Germany’s Securing Energy for Europe GmbH, or SEFE and Spain’s Naturgy Energy Group SA.
Pouyanne said earlier this year that there are abundant alternatives to Russian gas as the market is expected to be well supplied from 2027, 2028 and 2029.
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Published on September 30, 2025