VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Russian energy

producer Novatek has delivered the first cargo of

liquefied natural gas from its new Arctic LNG 2 project, RIA

news agency reported on Thursday citing a company senior

manager.

It is confirmation from Novatek that the first cargo of LNG

was delivered from the Western-sanctioned project to the buyers.

"We have Arctic LNG 2 starting to work. The loadings have

begun. The first vessel has entered China," RIA quoted Yevgeny

Ambrosov, Novatek Deputy CEO, as saying.

Ship-tracking data from Kpler and LSEG showed that China

received last its first LNG cargo from the sanctioned Russian

project, days ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's

meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Novatek began production at Arctic LNG in December 2023, but

is behind schedule in supplying cargoes of the gas because of

shortages of ice-class gas carriers and Western sanctions over

Russia's conflict with Ukraine.