Early Thick Arctic Ice Forces Russian LNG Carrier to Retreat

Russian Arc7 LNG gas carrier in ice — Russia's medium weight gas carriers maybe done for the winter with only the larger Arc 7 tankers able to manage the earlier than normal ice

Russia’s attempts to continue to ship LNG from the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 site to China appear to have been stymied by an early onset of thick winter ice. Russian media reports are that after a week of trying, one of the medium weight LNG carriers that has maintained the export flow for the terminal has abandoned its latest attempt.

Position signals show that the Russian-flagged LNG carrier Buran has moved north into the Kara Sea. The message says “waiting for orders.” One of four tankers built by Samsung Heavy Industries and delivered in 2023, they were to be managed by NYK for Russia’s Novatek. The ships were sanctioned and, in 2025, transferred to the Russian flag and management.

The four vessels are Arc4 class, meaning they were designed to manage lighter, early-season ice. They otherwise require icebreaker escorts.

Reports indicate the four ships have been running back and forth to China this season, delivering LNG. Bloomberg says there have been at least 12 shipments of LNG in 2025 from the sanctioned project.

The Buran (174,000 cbm) reportedly had begun encountering challenges as early as November, with the ice along sections of the Northern Sea Route. It had to search out a route through the Bering Strait on the westbound transit.

According to the reports, the vessel was standing by near the entrance to the Novatek plant since the beginning of December. Last week, it was reported to have made four attempts to make the transit south to reach the terminal, and each time was forced back.

In response to the earlier-than-normal thick ice, Russia has reportedly massed its icebreaker fleet in the area, but even still, Buran was unable to cross the Gulf of Ob. It was pointed out that the Novatek terminal is further south, requiring a longer and deeper transit in the Gulf of Ob than to reach the Yamal terminal.

A commentator pointed out that the class of medium tankers lacks strong thrusters. They said the shape of the bulbous bow also impedes the ability to maneuver in the thicker ice.

For now, it is unclear what the tanker’s next move will be. The season may have come to an early close for the medium weight gas carriers.

The reports highlight that Russia has one heavy weight gas carrier (Arc7), the Christophe de Margerie. However, it is not in the area currently, and last year sustained damage when they attempted to push through the heavier ice.

A new Arc7 gas carrier, Alexey Kosygin, is completing construction at the Zvezda shipyard complex. It is reported to be on sea trials, and the expectation is that it will be moved quickly into service as Russia looks to maintain LNG exports from the Arctic terminals.