Yamal LNG Starts, First Cargo Dec 8

Yamal LNG has begun the commissioning stage of at its first of three 5.5mn mt/yr LNG trains.

It said December 5 that the first cargo would be loaded on the Christophe de Margerie ice-class LNG tanker December 8.

This will be the first time that sizeable amounts of gas will have left Russia outside the control of Gazprom, the state monopoly exporter. Gazprom though is a minority shareholder in Novatek. Yamal LNG is also the first project in Russia to be developed in the Arctic region of western Siberia.

Its LNG is able to go east or west, the eastern route to Asia being blocked by ice in winter. Novatek did not give any details about the buyer of the cargo but the output is contracted. Novatek had clearance from the government to commission the first train November 29.

CEO Leonid Mikhelson said: "This event marks a milestone accomplishment for the Yamal LNG project. The commencement of LNG production begins a new chapter in our corporate history. Many contractors and suppliers from Russia and abroad were involved in this project. We have received great support from the Russian government in implementing this project. We are grateful to all our partners, contractors and shareholders for the joint work on the way to the successful start of this project on time and on budget according to our final investment decision schedule.”

The tanker is named in after Christophe de Margerie, the CEO of Total who bought a stake in Novatek. The company is an offtaker from the Yamal LNG project.