Russian group Novatek shipped around 70,000 tonnes of gas condensate to the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk in September, responding to a partial shutdown of its processing complex located in Ust-Luga. According to two sources familiar with the matter, this move was made after a fire, triggered by a drone attack, halted operations at the site in late August.
The Ust-Luga complex, specialised in refining stable gas condensate, converts it into light and heavy naphtha, jet fuel, marine fuel component (fuel oil), and gasoil. With two of the three processing units taken offline, Novatek temporarily resumed raw condensate exports while seeking alternative routes to move its output.
A reconfigured cargo blended with light crude
The condensate, representing half of a total 140,000-tonne shipment, was loaded onto the Tataki vessel on September 16 from Novorossiisk, the same sources said. It was blended with crude oil supplied by CenGeo and exported under the Siberian Light label, a low-sulphur crude grade typically shipped from the same port.
According to shipping data from LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group), the Tataki is currently en route to the Suez Canal. The final destination of the cargo has not been confirmed, but one source indicated that it may be heading to India.
Production rerouted pending full recovery
The incident at Ust-Luga fully suspended operations for several days before a partial restart was initiated in late August. This temporary rerouting to Novorossiisk forms part of a continuity strategy aimed at minimising logistical and commercial disruptions caused by the incident.
Neither Novatek nor CenGeo responded to requests for comment regarding these operations. No details were provided on the remaining condensate volumes to be sold or on the timeline for full restoration of the Ust-Luga facility.
