Russia’s Novatek gas terminal catches fire

A fire erupted at the terminal of Novatek, an independent Russian natural gas producer, located in the port of Ust-Luga in the Leningrad Region, according to a report from TASS, citing Governor Alexander Drozdenko on Sunday. Drozdenko confirmed that there were no reported casualties, and the terminal staff had been successfully evacuated. In response to the incident, a high alert regime was implemented in the Kingisepp district.

Governor Drozdenko mentioned that the Russian Emergencies Ministry and local firefighting units were on-site to extinguish the fire, as reported by TASS. The Marine Traffic website had previously observed the presence of up to five fuel tankers with flags from Panama, Gabon, Liberia, and Greece, anchored near the Ust-Luga port.

Novatek’s official website provided information about the Ust-Luga Complex, highlighting its role as a gas condensate fractionation and transshipment facility at the year-round port of Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea. Operational since 2013, the complex processes stable gas condensate to generate light and heavy naphtha, jet fuel, ship fuel components (fuel oil), and gasoil. Additionally, it facilitates the transportation of these refined petroleum products to global markets.

The Ust-Luga Complex is equipped to transship stable gas condensate to export markets, with an initial capacity of 6 million tonnes, which increased to 7 million tonnes per year after the launch of a new plant.

In response to the incident, local and national authorities have initiated a coordinated effort to promptly address the fire and mitigate potential environmental and operational consequences, as reported by TASS.