Dark Tanker Conducts Rare STS Transfer Of Sanctioned Russian LNG Off Malaysian Coast

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A tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a US-sanctioned Russian export plant has been observed transferring cargo at sea off the coast of Malaysia.

The vessel, Perle, sanctioned by the US earlier this year, was seen anchored alongside another ship about 90 kilometres east of the Malaysian peninsula.

Satellite images taken on 18 October and earlier tracking data suggest the two ships were carrying out a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer, a rare and complex operation for LNG cargoes.

Analysts believe this could be the first known case of Russian LNG being transferred in Malaysian waters. The Perle loaded LNG from Russia’s Portovaya plant on the Baltic coast in February and stayed idle for several months before sailing towards Asia in July, taking the route around the Cape of Good Hope.

Ship-tracking data shows that the Portovaya plant has not exported LNG to foreign buyers since the US imposed sanctions in January, making this likely its first shipment to Asia in nearly a year.

The Perle is currently not transmitting its location, a common tactic used by vessels in the shadow fleet to hide their movements. The identity of the other vessel involved in the transfer remains unknown.

Observers note that Russia has stepped up its efforts to find new buyers for its LNG, even as Western nations try to limit its exports.

In a related development, another US-sanctioned facility, Arctic LNG 2, began delivering blacklisted LNG to China in late August, coinciding with a visit to Beijing by President Vladimir Putin.

The Perle is managed by Dreamer Shipmanagement LLC-FZ, registered at Dubai’s Meydan Hotel, which is also linked to other companies helping Russia operate a fleet for sanctioned gas shipments. The company has no listed contact details, and the hotel did not respond to requests for comment.

Reference: Bloomberg