Yomiuri: "Extra LNG arrives from Russia"
A Russian tanker carrying liquefied natural gas to help Japan cope with its electricity shortage after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami arrived at Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture, on Saturday.
The LNG, which Russia provided in addition to its normal LNG shipments to Japan, was to be transferred to Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s LNG storage base in the prefecture for a thermal power plant in the city.
The tanker, the Grand Aniva, is equipped with four large tanks. It loaded 65,000 tons of LNG in Sakhalin, far eastern Russia, before making the one-week voyage to Tokyo Bay.
The LNG will be used to supply electricity in Tokyo and its vicinity.
Although Japan's diplomatic relationship with Russia has been strained by a dispute over the Russian-held northern territories off Hokkaido, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on March 12--the day after the earthquake--directly ordered an increase in the supply of LNG and oil to Japan.
Gazprom, the Russian state-run natural gas company that arranged the LNG shipment, has indicated it could send more gas if needed.
"Amid Japan's hardship, we'll offer more aid if requested," Gazprom said in a message.
