May 14, 2024 [Reuters]- Russia’s Gazprom is using a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) as a tanker to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its Portovaya LNG plant in the Baltic Sea, LSEG data shows.

The FSRU Marshal Vasilevskiy is normally used to supply the Kaliningrad region of Russia and ensure its gas security in case of disruption to pipeline supplies from neighbouring countries.

Its use as an export vessel suggests there is a shortage of ice-class tankers available to ship LNG.

According to LSEG data, the Marshal Vasilevskiy loaded LNG from Portovaya LNG on May 9 and headed across the English Channel.

Its destination is not known, but the tanker’s arrival is expected on June 27.

Gazprom and Portovaya LNG did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Until 2022 the Marshal Vasilevskiy was used as an LNG export tanker.

In 2024 Gazprom has used the Marshal Vasilevsky for ship-to-ship loadings (STS) of LNG from the Portovaya LNG plant as another tanker is under repair.

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