From Reuters
A vessel that picked up liquefied natural gas from the United Kingdom that was headed to the United States has turned toward the Mediterranean, according to Thomson Reuters shipping data on Wednesday.
Engie SA’s Gaselys tanker picked up LNG from National Grid SA’s Isle of Grain facility near London on Dec. 30. It was initially expected to deliver LNG to Boston on Jan. 22, according to the Reuters data and a report by S&P Global Platts.
The S&P Global Platts report noted that another tanker had unloaded LNG at the Isle of Grain facility which originally came from Russia’s Yamal LNG export terminal. The company that operates the Russian facility, Novatek PAO, is under sanctions from the United States.
Reuters has not independently verified whether any of the fuel on the Gaselys came from Russia. Although the Gaselys still says it is heading for Boston, according to the shipping data, the final destination could change.
Carol Churchill, a spokeswoman for Engie, which bought the cargo in the UK, said on Wednesday the company “does not comment on the transit of our ships of their schedules.”
She said on Tuesday that Engie bought the cargo due to U.S. demand resulting from the cold weather. She did not answer a question about whether any of the gas on the Gaselys came from Russia, noting “this transaction is compliant with all U.S. trade laws.”
Engie owns the Everett LNG import terminal near Boston.
National Grid said customer confidentiality limited what information it could disclose about shipments at its Isle of Grain facility.
The U.S. Department of Treasury was not immediately available for comment on whether the U.S. could receive gas from Novatek’s Yamal facility.
The U.S. imposed sanctions against Novatek, Russia’s largest independent gas producer, in July 2014 due to Russia’s role in the conflict in Ukraine.
