FEATURE | Russia faces obstacles in plan to divert LNG from Europe to Asia

At all other times, Asia-bound cargoes must travel via the Suez Canal or around the Cape of Good Hope, which can take twice as long depending on the route, based on shipping data and analyst estimates.

Yamal LNG currently exports 18 million tonnes per year, according to Eikland.

To maintain these levels, while serving customers in Asia from 2027, gas producer Novatek, Yamal LNG's majority owner and operator, would need to charter 25-35 additional tankers to ship LNG via the Suez Canal or the Cape of Good Hope during the winter season, he said.

Re-routing 30 per cent of volumes sold under spot contracts from Europe to Asia this year, could still require an additional 10 vessels, Eikland said.

Russia has avoided the Suez route since early March after a tanker carrying Russian LNG caught fire off the Libyan coast. Moscow described the incident as an attack by Ukrainian naval drones launched from the Libyan coast. Ukraine has not commented.