Gas in the shadows: how Russia circumvents sanctions and sells LNG to China
8 December 09:58
Russia’s liquefied natural gas export plant has delivered its first shipment to China since the introduction of US sanctions in January. The Valera tanker, which loaded LNG from Gazprom’s Portovaya facility on the Baltic Sea in October, arrived at China’s Beihai terminal on December 8. It is reported by [Kommersant] with reference to Bloomberg.
The delivery took place despite US sanctions pressure. Both the ship and Portovaya were authorized by the administration of former US President Joe Biden to thwart Russia’s plans to increase LNG exports.
Why the delivery is possible: China does not recognize US sanctions
Beijing openly states that it does not recognize unilateral US sanctions, so Russian LNG continues to enter the country even from the blacklist.
In 2025, China:
- increases purchases of LNG from sanctioned projects in Russia,
- continues to buy Russian oil despite Washington’s ban initiatives,
- strengthens its strategic partnership with Moscow amid tensions with the United States.
This is making the Beijing-Moscow energy tandem stronger and stronger.
Which Russian LNG plants are under sanctions
The following are under US restrictions:
- Portovaya LNG (Gazprom) – Baltic Sea
- Vysotsk LNG (Novatek) – also the Baltic
- Arctic LNG 2 – a key Russian project in Siberia
All three are actively looking for logistical bypasses to supply Asia.
Scale of trade: LNG exports from Russia to China increased by 14%
According to monitoring data, total Russian LNG supplies to China in September-November increased by 14% compared to the same period in 2024.
Among them:
- 19 deliveries were from sanctioned plants (including Arctic LNG 2 and Portovaya)
- import growth continues despite US restrictions
This indicates that Beijing is increasingly building an alternative energy infrastructure independent of the United States.
“Shadow” routes and congestion: what satellites show
In October, satellite imagery recorded
- lNG being transshipped from a tanker that loaded at Portovaya to another Hong Kong-flagged vessel off Malaysia;
- the CCH Gas vessel sent false coordinates;
- in November, it was spotted in Chinese waters.
Such operations indicate the use of a shadow fleet similar to the one used by Russia to export oil in circumvention of sanctions.
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