Russia Launches World's Largest LNG Facility Under Military Protection

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) –

Russia isn’t taking any possibilities through the launch of its new flagship LNG undertaking. Following ongoing Ukrainian operations in opposition to Russia’s vitality infrastructure, the nation’s navy and Federal Safety Providers (FSB) are maintaining a detailed eye on the Arctic LNG 2 undertaking.

Russian liquefied pure gasoline (LNG) exporter Novatek floated the second stage of the world’s largest floating LNG facility out of a drydock close to Murmansk on July twenty fifth aided by a fleet of tugs and offshore vessels. The undertaking makes use of large floating concrete platforms to deal with every manufacturing line.

Measuring 300m x 128m and 640,000 tons, the construction rivals Shell’s Prelude FLNG in dimension and weight.

Not less than two FSB patrol vessels and aerial property will accompany the platform’s 1300 nautical mile voyage into the Arctic. Footage taken alongside the preliminary section of the towing operation within the Kola Bay additionally depict Russian navy floor vessels and submarines in proximity of the platform.

Arctic LNG 2 platform in Murmansk Fjord after leaving the dry dock with Russian cruiser Marshal Ustinov within the foreground. (Supply: Murmansk Oblast)

In distinction to the launch of the primary manufacturing line in August 2023, attended by President Putin, and broadly publicized throughout Russian media, the sailaway of the second prepare has been stored way more underneath wraps.

“Within the pursuits of guaranteeing the protection of the floating modular plant, well timed detection and suppression of doable sabotage and terrorist threats, a process for interplay throughout anti-terrorist workout routines and coaching, in addition to throughout counter-terrorist operations has been developed and accredited,” the press service of the FSB reported.

Arctic LNG 2 platform in Murmansk Fjord after leaving the dry dock. (Source: Murmansk Oblast) — Arctic LNG 2 platform in Murmansk Fjord after leaving the dry dock. (Supply: Murmansk Oblast)

The best threat to Arctic LNG 2 probably persists all through the preliminary section of the towing operation within the Kola Bay and alongside the Kola Peninsula. Ukrainian naval drone assaults have efficiently disabled or destroyed a 3rd of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

It is going to take roughly three weeks to maneuver the 550,000 ton platform by way of open waters of the Barents and Kara Sea.

Novatek’s amenities have beforehand been the goal of Ukrainian efforts to disrupt Russia’s vitality export infrastructure. The corporate’s Ust-Luga export terminal and processing complicated within the Baltics got here underneath drone assault in January 2024. It took greater than two months for the ability, which processes gasoline condensate into mild and heavy naphtha, jet gasoline, gasoline oil and gasoil, to renew regular operations.

Lengthy-range drone assaults have repeatedly hit main Russian refineries and gasoline depots. The farthest such assault occurred within the ??Russia’s Bashkiria area in Might, greater than 1,500 km inside Russia territory.

As soon as at its remaining location on the Utrenney terminal on the Gydan peninsula, some 3,000 km from Ukraine, Arctic LNG 2 will sit exterior the present attain of Ukrainian drones.