Russian Arctic LNG Carrier Out of Commission Following Maintenance Struggles, Underscores Key Role of EU Yards

European shipyards continue to play a critical part in keeping Russia’s fleet of ice-capable LNG carriers afloat. The vessels carry liquefied natural gas from Novatek’s Yamal LNG facility in the Arctic to markets in Europe and Asia. Access to European shipyards and Western suppliers of spare parts has been critical to allowing the fleet to continue operating. 

Out of a fleet of fifteen vessels, all but one have received services at two European facilities, Damen Shiprepair in Brest, France and Fayard A/S in Odense, Denmark, as previously reported by HNN. 

A single vessel, Sovcomflot-affiliated Christophe de Margerie, however, has been unable to use European yards. While not directly sanctioned, its connection to blocked Russian shipping company Sovcomflot has made it impractical to receive services or spare parts in Western yards.

“It is all related to sanctions. Critical parts are not available. Suppliers refuse to provide parts to vessels due to fear of sanctions,” a person familiar with the industry told HNN.

This fall Christophe de Margerie spent extensive time in a Chinese yard, but still some key systems remain inoperable. As a result the vessel has been unable to carry any cargo for Yamal LNG. 

“Chinese yards are almost certainly struggling with some of the repairs and gaining access to the spare parts needed,” a source familiar with maintenance work on the ice-class Arc7 LNG carriers confirmed. Even if Western spare parts can be copied or replicated, integrating them to work with the ship’s complex software and the array of sensors is a different story.

Out of commission for six months

The difficulties Christophe de Margerie has faced highlight the key role European yards play in keeping the Yamal LNG fleet in service. 

Christophe de Margerie last picked up super chilled gas from Novatek’s Yamal LNG project at the end of June 2024. For the remainder of summer and all of fall the vessel has been out of commission. It remained in the South and East China Seas for several months before entering the Jinhai Ship Industry shipyard on Zhoushan island southeast of Shanghai. 

Following stints in the yard’s drydock the vessel began its journey back to the Arctic in November. Sources tell HNN a number of the vessel’s systems remain inoperable. Still she returned back to Russia’s western Arctic to avoid getting stuck in the East. With winter setting in, a later return would have meant a lengthy detour via the Suez Canal. 

Christophe de Margerie arrived in the Kara Sea near the Yamal LNG project in late November. She has since been listed as “drifting/awaiting instructions” in the daily logs of the Northern Sea Route Administration. This particular status is sometimes used by vessels awaiting a loading slot, but has been seen very rarely and only for short periods with Arc7 LNG carriers. 

Christophe de Margerie has been listed as drifting for more than two weeks. It is important to note that drifting does not mean “adrift” or signify an emergency situation, but simply denotes that a vessel is not under power and not at anchor.

The vessel’s near-term future remains uncertain. She may operate on short segments for ship-to-ship operations carrying LNG from Yamal to near Murmansk, if her maintenance status allows. But it is unlikely to see her return to Europe to offload LNG at terminals such as Montoir de Bretagne, France. 

Some of Christophe de Margerie’s current challenges also extend to Western-owned ice-class LNG carriers by Seapeak and Dynagas in the service of Yamal LNG, though not to the same degree. 

With each round of sanctions companies become more hesitant to provide parts requiring increasingly lengthy assurances by the vessels' operators. But for now European yards and suppliers continue to play a key role in maintaining Russia’s fleet of gas tankers.