Shell pauses charters for Russian LNG vessels
Shell has suspended its charter contracts for two LNG vessels from Russian state-owned operator Sovcomflot, Bloomberg reported April 7.
The UK-headquartered major made the decision last month to suspend the vessels, which typically haul Asian LNG offtake. Sources said Shell concluded the vessels should be taken out of service has a precaution.
Bloomberg identified the suspended Shell vessels as Sovcomflot's SCF Barents and SCF Timmerman, with each vessel offering a nameplate capacity of 174,000 m3.
Sovcomflot is directly excluded from British ports under the country's sanctions regime. The UK has introduced an embargo on any ships with a Russian "connection", whether they be owned, controlled, chartered or operated by a Russian firm. In Brussels, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU could follow suit with its own ban on Russian freight ships and delivery trucks.