OREANDA-NEWS. July 7, 2009. Vyborg Shipyard (VSZ OJSC, Leningrad region) has launched the first section of the semi-submersible drilling within the framework Gazprom program aimed at development of the Shtokman field. The unit is to be joined with its upper structure in November 2009 in Murmansk and is to be put into operation in the forth quarter of 2010.

A RUR 59-bln contract for construction of drilling rigs was signed by VSZ and Gazflot in autumn 2007 for implementation of the Shtokman project. According to the contract, VSZ will build the hulls and the upper decks of the rigs designed for operation in severe weather conditions with low temperature, 32-meter high waves and capable of probe and production drilling of up to 7,500-meter gas and oil wells with depth from 70 to 500 meters.

The Shtokman field lies in the central part of Russian sector of the Barents Sea, 600 kilometres north of the Kola Peninsula. Its reserves are estimated at 3.8 trillion cubic meter of natural gas and some 31 million tons of gas condensate.

The Shtokman development project is of a strategic importance for Gazprom. This field will be a resource base for supplies of Russian gas through application of both pipelines and LNG technologies.

Vyborg Shipyard was founded in 1948. Today it specializes in construction of sea platforms for development of the fields at the shelf as well as in construction of small and average capacity vessels. unit being built for Gazflot.