A liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, the Pioneer, has recently been identified at a Russian gas facility under international sanctions. This vessel, managed by a relatively unknown Indian company and showing suspicious behaviour, is part of a suspected “dark fleet” assembled by Moscow.
Identifying the Pioneer
Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, has confirmed that the Pioneer is docked at the Arctic LNG 2 export plant. Using satellite imagery, Madani noted that the ship’s deck appearance and dimensions matched those of the Pioneer. Moreover, the ship’s tracking signals are misleading, indicating it is 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) away—a tactic known as spoofing, which is common among shadow fleet vessels.
The Shadow Fleet Emerges
The Pioneer is thought to be part of a covert “shadow fleet” of LNG carriers being organized by Russia. This fleet is similar to the shadow fleet of oil tankers used to bypass Western restrictions on Russian oil. Satellite images from August 1 show an LNG tanker at the Arctic facility, which had struggled to begin exports due to Western sanctions.
Mysterious Management and Insurance
The Pioneer is managed by Ocean Speedstar Solutions, a company registered in June and based about 150 kilometres outside of Mumbai, India. The vessel’s ownership, under Zara Shipholding, lists the same address. Previously, the Pioneer was managed by Nur Global Shipping, a little-known company operating from the Meydan Hotel in a UAE free trade zone notorious for its lack of transparency.
Adding to the intrigue, the Pioneer’s insurer is listed as “unknown” on the International Maritime Organization database—another indicator of its dark fleet status.
Impact of Sanctions and the Facility’s Status
The U.S. imposed sanctions on the Arctic LNG 2 plant in November to halt exports. Although production began in December, no fuel has been shipped due to restrictions that kept foreign companies away and prevented the delivery of specialized ice-ready carriers.
Lack of Transparency
Ocean Speedstar has not responded to inquiries, and its contact information is unavailable. Novatek PJSC, leading the Arctic LNG 2 facility, has also declined to comment on the vessel’s presence. Satellite images do not confirm whether LNG is being loaded onto the ship, and ship-tracking data places the Pioneer in the Barents Sea, far from its indicated location.
Another Shadow Fleet Vessel
Ocean Speedstar also manages another suspected shadow fleet LNG vessel, the Asya Energy, which was previously under Nur Global Shipping. Ship-tracking data similarly shows Asya Energy in the Barents Sea, reinforcing concerns about the shadow fleet’s activities.