The schedule for delivery of gas carriers ordered by Russia’s shipping company Sovkomflot for the Novatek-led Arctic LNG 2 project has been delayed by one year, RIA news agency said on Wednesday, citing the head of Sovkomflot.
Novatek’s CEO Leonid Mikhelson said last September that the first tanker for the project was likely to be delivered at the end of 2023, in time for the start of gas production at the first line of plants. Six of seven tankers are expected to have been delivered by the end of 2024.
“It was delayed by one year… I mean… 2024,” RIA cited Sovkomflot director general Igor Tonkovidov as saying when asked about the schedule for the delivery of the gas carriers.
Novatek did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Arctic LNG 2 is due to start production at its first line by the end of this year. Total capacity of the three planned lines is put at 19.8 million tonnes of liquefied gas per year.
The shareholders of Arctic LNG 2 are Novatek (60%), French energy major TotalEnergies (10%), China’s CNPC (10%) and CNOOC (10%), as well as Japan Arctic LNG (10%), a consortium of Mitsui & Co, Ltd. and JOGMEC.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin Editing by Gareth Jones)