Liquefied natural gas(LNG) tanker Gaselys (IMO 9320075) which was headed for Boston in the US, made a U-turn in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean at the weekend and, according to Bloomberg, is now headed for Algeciras, southern Spain. Gaselys was set to land at a terminal outside Boston on Saturday and changed its course to delay the date of its arrival, according to Engie SA, the French utility that owns the cargo.
“The final destination of the cargo did not change,” Damien de Gaulejac, a spokesman for Engie, told Bloomberg. “It is still Everett, but the date of delivery has been adjusted, in particular for weather reasons.”
The vessel is carrying a cargo from storage tanks at a terminal near London, which earlier received the first fuel from the Russian Yamal LNG plant. Some of the gas came from a project that is subject to financial sanctions imposed by the US in 2014 after President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine’s Crimea, said Bloomberg.
The shipment was arranged during the cold snap that hit the US northeast earlier this month, sending prices for LNG much higher.
Engie’s North American unit bought the spot cargo from Malaysia’s Petroliam Nasional Bhd to supplement its contracted volumes from Trinidad and Tobago into its Everett terminal near Boston, it said last week.
The Yamal LNG project, co-owned by Russia’s Novatek PJSC, Total SA, China Natural Petroleum Corp. and China’s Silk Road Fund, started production in December despite US financial sanctions imposed in 2014 because of Russia’s involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. It planned to deliver 14 spot cargoes by April, by which time long-term contracts will have kicked in.
2007-built, France-flagged, 97,741 gt Gaselys is owned by Nyk Armateur care of manager Gazocean SA of Marseille, France. ISM manager is Marima of Bois d’Arcy. France. It is entered with Standard Club (Standard Offshore Division) on behalf of Nyk Armateur SAS.