China is stepping up efforts to import Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is subject to U.S. sanctions. Beijing is forming its own energy transport system to circumvent the restrictions.
Source: Bukvy
Although the country has sufficient pipeline gas supplies, maritime purchases allow it to diversify energy flows and deepen cooperation with Moscow.
According to Bloomberg, Russian President Vladimir Putin views LNG as a key export direction and urgently needs new buyers.
Signs of the creation of a “shadow fleet” include the sanctioned tanker CCH Gas, which is hiding its location near a Chinese port. Its owner, registered in Hong Kong, uses a mailbox linked to a company that specializes in concealing the true owners of vessels.
Another ship, Kunpeng, recently came under the control of little-known companies in China and the Marshall Islands that are associated with trading in sanctioned fuel.
Experts note that creating a shadow LNG fleet is significantly more difficult than an oil one: there are about 8,000 oil tankers in the world but only around 800 LNG carriers, so hiding their movements is much harder.
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