The heavy-lift ships, previously owned by Guangdong Nan Feng Shipping, have reappeared near Murmansk under Russian flags after carrying equipment for Arctic LNG 2.
Russia’s Eco Shipping LLC has taken ownership and management of the heavy-lift carriers Bright and Glory from Guangdong Nan Feng Shipping Co., according to Equasis vessel records reviewed by gCaptain. The ships had previously carried equipment from China for Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project.
Both vessels have reappeared near Murmansk under Russian flags and registration on the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which tracks ships. The records show a corporate ownership transfer; the sale’s timing and financial terms have not been made public.
Arctic LNG 2 is Novatek’s natural-gas extraction and liquefied natural gas production project on the Gydan Peninsula. The US placed the project under blocking sanctions on 2 November 2023. Its construction involves moving large equipment modules to remote sites.
Earlier in 2026, Bright and Glory delivered modules for the project’s third production train—a production line for processing gas—to Novatek’s construction center at Belokamenka near Murmansk. In September, they returned to China and loaded 2 power-generation modules for the second train.
The ships switched off their AIS transponders in mid-September as they sailed north across the Pacific toward the Bering Strait, then delivered the modules to the Utrenniy terminal without broadcasting their positions.
Glory previously sailed as Nan Feng Zhi Xing and Glory Ocean; Bright also operated as Zhi Xian Zhi Xing, Hunter Star and Bright Ocean.
Analysis
gCaptain says Russian ownership and management of the specialized carriers reduces reliance on foreign-owned shipping companies for transporting construction modules. Neither vessel appears in the fleet listing on Eco Shipping’s website.
The ships’ next assignments remain unclear. gCaptain says satellite imagery shows at least 7 more modules for the third train in China, some appearing complete and others still under construction. The outlet says the vessels could return to collect equipment or eventually carry Russian-built modules to overseas customers.
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