OREANDA-NEWS  On 20 November was announced, that on November 6-7 VNIIGAZ held the Russian-Norwegian Conference “Barents-2020. Evaluating international standards for oil & gas production in the Barents Sea”. The Conference was chaired by T.P. Lobanova, Deputy Head of the Department of Strategic Development. Elisabeth Harstad, Manager of Barents 2020 project and Director of Research and Innovation Department of Det Norske Veritas, welcomed the Conference participants.

Executives from Federal Agency on Technical Regulating and Metrology, DNV, Gazprom, VNIIGAZ, Gaznadzor, Gazflot and other Gazprom’s subsidiaries as well as representatives of Russian and foreign oil & gas companies, such as StatoilHydro, Shtokman Development, Lukoil, Rosneft took part in the Conference.

The experts discussed results of analysis of international standards used in development of offshore oil and gas fields. Particular emphasis was laid on labour and environment protection and industrial safety.

The Conference identified the topics for further cooperation between Russia and Norway in 2009, which will focus on harmonization and drawing up of recommendations on using the existing regulatory base during development of oil and gas fields of the Barents Sea.