La-Perouse

Russia’s Arctic LNG shadow fleet appeared to be operating largely undeterred by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, with at least seven tankers recently transiting or currently en route through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait en route to and from Asia, even as many global shipping operators were rerouting their ships to avoid the region. Vessels lifting Russian LNG from the Arctic have continued to use the shortcut to Asia. At least seven tankers linked to Russia’s Arctic LNG trade have either recently passed through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb strait or are currently sailing towards the corridor en route to China. The southbound 'La Perouse' has completed its transit of the Suez Canal and entered the Red Sea, while the northbound 'Arctic Pioneer' was approaching the canal after passing through the Red Sea. Further south, the 'Arctic Mulan' and the 'Iris' were sailing east after clearing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. In the Indian Ocean, the 'Nova Energy' and 'Arctic Vostok' remained on course for the Red Sea and Suez, while the 'Arctic Metagaz' was heading toward the canal from the Mediterranean.The movements contrasted with the mounting uncertainty over Qatari exports, which must pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that has seen slower traffic and heightened security concerns in recent days.

The LNG tanker 'Arctic Vostok' (IMO: 9216298), carrying a cargo from Russia’s sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, has berthed at the Beihai terminal on Sep 30. If the tanker discharges its cargo, it would be the 7th load that the Chinese terminal has received from the Arctic LNG 2 project, which is under sanctions because of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The LNG tanker picked up LNG from a storage facility in Kamchatka since Aug 30. The tanker is managed by the SMP Techmanagement while the registered owner was Lule One Services. Despite sanctions, the Arctic LNG 2, which is 60 % owned by Russia’s Novatek, has been sending out LNG since 2024, with cargoes being delivered to two storage facilities in Russia and the Beihai LNG terminal. The last two cargoes loaded from the Arctic LNG 2 facility in Gydan were taken aboard the 'Christophe De Margerie' (IMO: 9737187) and the 'Voskhod' (IMO: 9953511). Another sanctioned tanker, the 'La Perouse', which also loaded 150,000 cubic meters of LNG from the project, was heading toward the Bay of Bengal. One more sanctioned tanker, the 'Arctic Metagaz' (IMO: 9243148), which is also carrying a cargo from Arctic LNG 2, is currently near the Beihai LNG terminal too. It picked up a cargo from a floating storage facility in Murmansk on July 17, which has also only received cargoes from the Arctic LNG 2 project.

The European Union has adopted its newest sanctions package on Dec 16, 2024, at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting, adding 52 new vessels, among them the 'La Perouse', to the sanctions list that have been deemed by the EU to be supporting Russia’s war machine. The vessels that have been sanctioned are primarily involved in circumventing the oil price cap mechanism implemented by the West, in arms deliveries, and in the transportation of stolen grain. This latest package has brought the total number of vessels sanctioned by the EU to 79. The majority of the vessels are involved in the transport of Russian oil and in transporting arms for the Russian military. The sanctions package also targets a total of 54 individuals and 30 entities that are deemed to be bolstering Russia’s war effort. Among them, there are also entities and individuals in China and North Korea who have been deemed to be supplying Russia with dual-use materials to support Russia’s military efforts. Two senior North Korean officials and seven Chinese individuals and companies have been targeted in the latest sanctions. The purpose of the sanctions has been defined to increase the operational costs for Russia by banning them from ports in the EU and hindering them from receiving maritime services.

Personnel of the Mexican Navy in coordination with the Regional Captaincy of the Lázaro Cárdenas Port, carried out the medical evacuation of a crew member of the 'SCF La Perouse' 50 nautical miles off the coast. The man of Russian nationality presented the symptoms of severe bleeding peptic ulcer while the ship was west-southwest of the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán. The Naval Command immediately activated the protocols established for the safeguarding of human life at sea, and ordered the departure of a Defender-type vessel of the ENSAR from Lázaro Cárdenas with naval health personnel on board. The crew member was evacuated, and the necessary pre-hospital care was provided during the transfer to the dock of the Tenth Naval Zone. Upon arrival, the patient was handed over to paramedics for the transfer to a private clinic in the town, to receive specialized medical care. Report with photo: https://colima.quadratin.com.mx/michoacan/evacua-semar-a-tripulante-ruso-de-buque-mercante/