Page 15 - GLNG Week 44 2022
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GLNG EUROPE GLNG
UK officially bans Russian LNG
POLICY THE UK will ban imports of LNG from Russia products fell to zero in June for the first time
from January 1, 2023, the government said last on record, based on data going back to 1997,
week, ramping up its sanctions regime against according to figures released by the country’s
Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. How- Office for National Statistics. Those imports had
ever, the move is purely symbolic, as the UK has been worth an average of nearly GBP500mn
already stopped buying Russian chilled gas. ($573mn) per month in the year till February.
The move follows a pledge that London Prior to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Rus-
made to phase out Russian oil and gas imports sia was the UK’s largest supplier of refined oil,
earlier this year. The government said last week accounting for 24.1% of the total. Russia also
it would prohibit importing of LNG which is supplied 5.9% of the UK’s oil imports and 4.9%
consigned from or originates in Russian, and of its gas imports.
the acquisition of LNG, as well as related techni- The statistics office noted at the time that “as a
cal assistance, financial services and funds, and result of the UK government’s ambition to phase
brokering services, which originates or is located out imports of Russian oil and gas, there were no
in Russia, with the intention of the LNG entering imports of refined oil, crude oil, gas or coal, coke
the UK. and briquettes from Russia by June 2022. This
As of last year, nearly half of the gas entering has prompted importers to seek alternatives.
the UK market came from the country’s North There have been increases in imports of refined
Sea shelf, while the country’s largest outside sup- oil from Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Belgium,
plier is Norway. Only about 17% of the UK’s gas Kuwait in recent months, partially compensating
is imported in LNG form. Besides Russia, these for reducing imports from Russia.”
supplies come from Qatar, the US and others.
UK imports of oil, gas and petroleum
Week 44 03•November•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P15
