Russian Arctic LNG Shipped to India

The first shipment of LNG from Russia's Yamal LNG has been delivered to India.

India is one of Novatek's priority markets, according to the company's 2030 strategy, and more deliveries are anticipated.

Over a million tons of LNG has now been shipped from Yamal. Four new LNG vessels have been built for the project and another 11  are under construction. The tankers are designed for year-round navigation without the escort of icebreakers through the Northern Sea Route. 

The first LNG train comprising 5.5 million tons per annum commenced LNG production in the fourth quarter of 2017 with the loading of the inaugural tanker, the Christophe de Margerie. The LNG produced at Yamal LNG is transported by Arc7 ice class carriers each holding170 thousand cm (about74 thousand tons). Yamal LNG reached the millionth ton shipped on the 14th cargo loaded at Sabetta seaport.

Yamal LNG envisions three LNG trains, each with the annual capacity of 5.5 million tons.

Novatek has also announced that it intends to build a comparable plant on the Gydan Peninsula, across the Gulf of Ob from Yamal LNG. The second facility – called Arctic LNG-2 – would be completed by 2023, and would export gas from Novatek's Salmanovskoye and Geofizicheskoye fields, along with production from new license areas as the firm continues exploration. Mikhelson has claimed that the combined plants could produce 70 MTPA, enough to rival world leader Qatar.

To build Arctic LNG-2, Novatek proposes to build plant modules near the site at a new $400 million construction yard. Yamal LNG's giant modules were built overseas and carried thousands of miles to the newly built port of Sabetta, where they were brought ashore and integrated into the rest of the facility.

Yamal LNG shareholders include: PAO Novatek (50.1 percent), Total (20 percent), CNPC (20 percent) and the Silk Road Fund (9.9 percent).