Japan maintains its Russian Gas Insurance coverage

Following the announcement of the cessation of marine war insurance, British reinsurers granted Japan 30 billion yen until March. The aim is to secure fuel imports from Japan via Sakhalin-2 in the Russian Far East at the height of winter demand.

Share:

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

stop

However, the new coverage does not cover all of Japan’s operations. Shipping companies will probably have to review their operations.

Maintaining war insurance is essential. The aim is to ensure that Japan can import LNG from the Sakhalin-2 gas and oil project in the Russian Far East at the height of winter demand. Japan wants to keep its LNG supply in the Russian Far East despite the sanctions against Russia.

Japan’s supply in danger following the nationalization of Sakhalin-2

The war in Ukraine led by Russia has had a strong impact on supplies to Japan, especially since the nationalization of Sakhalin-2. In June, Moscow signed a decree providing for the transfer of all shares in Sakhalin-2 to a new Russian company created by the State. Gazprom nevertheless retains its 50% share. While the foreign partners have one month to say if they want to take shares in the new company.

As a result, Mitsui & Co (12.5%) and Mitsubishi (10%) get the green light from Moscow and keep their participation in the project. Sakhalin-2 is a key issue for Japan, which imports 8% of its LNG from Russia.

In addition, Japan wishes to commit itself against climate change and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. However, the country is struggling to compensate this reduction in energy production with cleaner sources. He also wants to give priority to nuclear power, but in a country traumatized by nuclear power, this is a difficult task.

The Iraqi government and Kurdish authorities have launched an investigation into the drone attack targeting the Khor Mor gas field, which halted production and caused widespread electricity outages.
PetroChina internalises three major gas storage sites through two joint ventures with PipeChina, representing 11 Gm³ of capacity, in a CNY40.02bn ($5.43bn) deal consolidating control over its domestic gas network.
The European Union is facilitating the use of force majeure to exit Russian gas contracts by 2028, a risky strategy for companies still bound by strict legal clauses.
Amid an expected LNG surplus from 2026, investors are reallocating positions toward the EU carbon market, betting on tighter supply and a bullish price trajectory.
Axiom Oil and Gas is suing Tidewater Midstream for $110mn over a gas handling dispute tied to a property for sale in the Brazeau region, with bids due this week.
Tokyo Gas has signed a 20-year agreement with US-based Venture Global to purchase one million tonnes per year of liquefied natural gas starting in 2030, reinforcing energy flows between Japan and the United States.
Venture Global accuses Shell of deliberately harming its operations over three years amid a conflict over spot market liquefied natural gas sales outside long-term contracts.
TotalEnergies ends operations of its Le Havre floating LNG terminal, installed after the 2022 energy crisis, due to its complete inactivity since August 2024.
Golar LNG has completed a $1.2bn refinancing for its floating LNG unit Gimi, securing extended financing terms and releasing net liquidity to strengthen its position in the liquefied natural gas market.
Woodside Energy and East Timor have reached an agreement to assess the commercial viability of a 5 million-tonne liquefied natural gas project from the Greater Sunrise field, with first exports targeted between 2032 and 2035.
In California, electricity production from natural gas is falling as solar continues to rise, especially between noon and 5 p.m., according to 2025 data from local grid authorities.
NextDecade has launched the pre-filing procedure to expand Rio Grande LNG with a sixth train, leveraging a political and commercial context favourable to US liquefied natural gas exports.
Condor Energies has completed drilling its first horizontal well in Uzbekistan, supported by two recompletions that increased daily production to 11,844 barrels of oil equivalent.
WhiteWater expands the Eiger Express pipeline in Texas, boosting its transport capacity to 3.7 billion cubic feet per day following new long-term contractual commitments.
The challenge to permits granted for the NESE project revives tensions between gas supply imperatives and regulatory consistency, as legal risks mount for regulators and developers.
Brasilia is preparing a regulatory overhaul of the LPG sector to break down entry barriers in a market dominated by Petrobras and four major distributors, as the Gás do Povo social programme intensifies pressure on prices.
The lifting of force majeure on the Rovuma LNG project puts Mozambique back on the global liquefied natural gas map, with a targeted capacity of 18 Mt/year and a narrowing strategic window to secure financing.
BW Energy has identified liquid hydrocarbons at the Kudu gas field in Namibia, altering the nature of the project initially designed for electricity production from dry gas.
Rising oil production in 2024 boosted associated natural gas to 18.5 billion cubic feet per day, driven by increased activity in the Permian region.
Sonatrach has concluded a new partnership with TotalEnergies, including a liquefied natural gas supply contract through 2025, amid a strategic shift in energy flows towards Europe.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.