A liquefied-natural-gas (LNG) carrier previously involved in a ship-to-ship transfer of sanctioned Russian gas has resurged in the South China Sea, raising fresh concerns over global sanctions-evasion tactics.
On 9 November 2025 satellite imagery showed the CCH Gas steaming west off China’s Hainan Island toward the Beihai LNG terminal in the Gulf of Tonkin—indicating a possible delivery of sanctioned gas to China.
The transfer and recent reappearance suggest that Russia is employing its so-called shadow fleet or “dark fleet” of LNG carriers to circumvent international sanctions and deliver gas to non-Western buyers.
China receiving the cargo implies that the Beihai terminal may be broadening its sourcing beyond the already sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, using discount-priced Russian cargo from sanctioned plants.