Satellite images have revealed what appears to be the first documented ship-to-ship transfer of Russian liquefied natural gas off Malaysia, involving a US-sanctioned vessel, reported Bloomberg.

The Bahamas-flagged 113,876 gross ton Perle, sanctioned by the US earlier this year, was seen anchored parallel to another vessel about 90 kilometres east of the Malaysian peninsula on October 18. The positioning suggests an LNG cargo transfer, a rare and technically complex operation in open waters.

The second vessel is believed to be Marshall Island-flagged 95,753 gross ton CCH-1 Shipping Co., according to Equasis. The ship has reportedly been spoofing its location, a tactic used by shadow-fleet tankers to evade detection.

The Perle loaded LNG from Russia's Portovaya plant in February and idled for months before sailing to Asia via the Cape of Good Hope in July. The plant has not exported since US sanctions were imposed in January, making this its first eastbound cargo in nearly a year.

Russia has intensified efforts to find buyers for its LNG amid Western restrictions. In August, Arctic LNG 2, another sanctioned facility, began deliveries to China during a visit by President Vladimir Putin to Beijing.

The Perle is managed by Dreamer Shipmanagement LLC-FZ, registered at the Meydan hotel in Dubai. The firm has no listed contact details, and the hotel did not respond to Bloomberg's queries. CCH-1 Shipping Co. also lacks registered contact information.