Russia's Novatek says it has delivered first cargo from Arctic LNG 2, RIA reports

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Russian energy producer Novatek NVTK.MM has delivered the first cargo of liquefied natural gas from its new Arctic LNG 2 project, RIA news agency reported on Thursday citing a company senior manager.

It is confirmation from Novatek that the first cargo of LNG was delivered from the Western-sanctioned project to the buyers.

"We have Arctic LNG 2 starting to work. The loadings have begun. The first vessel has entered China," RIA quoted Yevgeny Ambrosov, Novatek Deputy CEO, as saying.

Ship-tracking data from Kpler and LSEG showed that China received last its first LNG cargo from the sanctioned Russian project, days ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Novatek began production at Arctic LNG in December 2023, but is behind schedule in supplying cargoes of the gas because of shortages of ice-class gas carriers and Western sanctions over Russia's conflict with Ukraine.