The Aqua Times
US SANCTIONS TWO ADDITIONAL VESSELS ASSOCIATED WITH RUSSIAN LNG
In an attempt to thwart Russian exports of liquefied natural gas from the Arctic, the United States has sanctioned two further ships and two associated shipping companies. Indian Shipping companies have also got caught in the US Sanction gambit.
TAT Newsdesk
5 Sept 2024
After placing seven vessels under sanctions in late August, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, USA added Mulan and New Energy to its list of sanctioned vessels on September 5. The Treasury Department said that Gotik Shipping Co. and Plio Energy Cargo Shipping Opc, both based in India, had also been sanctioned.
The United States previously imposed penalties in connection with Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project. The recent action is a further setback for Russia, which has been working for months to build what is thought to be a shadow fleet of natural gas tankers, much like the ones it used to transport crude oil and its byproducts. These boats use techniques including turning off or tampering with their automatic identifying systems to conceal their position, have unclear ownership, and have unidentified underwriters.
“The U.S. government will continue to answer attempts to operationalize the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project or otherwise expand Russia’s energy capabilities with a swift response,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. “Working alongside our G7 partners and other allies, we will remain steadfast in countering Russia’s exploitation of its energy resources for political gain.”