Gazprom Sends First LNG Shipment from Portovaya to Asia

According to data from the London Exchanges Group, "Russian company Gazprom has sent its first shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Asia this year from the Portovaya refinery located on the Baltic Sea, using the route around the southern tip of the African continent to avoid the Red Sea." The LNG tanker was loaded in Portovaya on April 8 and is currently at sea off the coast of the Republic of Congo in West Africa. However, its destination is unknown. Last year, Gazprom sent three LNG shipments from Portovaya to Asia, all of which went to China, with two passing through the Suez Canal and one via the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic. Global fuel producers, including Russia, have been forced to reroute shipments heading to Asia and sail around Africa to avoid attacks from the Yemeni Houthi movement, despite the Suez Canal being the shortest maritime route between Europe and Asia.