OREANDA-NEWS. Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov and Andrei Dutov, General Director of the Krylov State Research Centre, have confirmed the signing of a cooperation agreement on collaboration in research and development on oilfield facilities on the Russian continental shelf. Signed during the 21st World Petroleum Congress, Moscow, the agreement will allow both companies to cooperate in research and development to support the implementation of marine facilities for full-service field development in those Russian continental-shelf fields in which Gazprom Neft is currently operator.

Gazprom Neft subsidiaries are currently active in several Russian Arctic offshore fields, including the Prirazlomnoye field, Pechora Sea, under development by Gazprom Neft subsidiary Gazprom Neft Shelf, the first project in Russia to develop the Arctic reserves. Geological prospecting on the Dolginskoye field (Pechora Sea) and the Severo-Vrangelevskoye field (covering the East Siberian and Chukchi seas) is also being undertaken by another subsidiary, Gazpromneft Sakhalin. The company is also working on the commissioning of the major Novoportovskoye onshore field in the north of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region. Oil from this field will be exported by sea from Novy Port, through the Gulf of Ob. Construction of a terminal for this purpose (one of the first trans-shipment facilities in the Russian Arctic) should be complete by late 2015. The environmental and climatic conditions for each of these projects are challenging, demanding innovative approaches to extraction and development as well as assiduous attention to workplace and environmental safety issues.

The Krylov State Research Centre is widely recognised as one of Russia's leading institutions for high-technology shipbuilding, research and concept engineering, the development of shipbuilding programmes, the design of marine hydrocarbon transportation systems, and the conduct of feasibility studies for upstream development on the continental shelf.

Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov commented: “The development of Arctic fields, including those offshore, is a core strategic objective for Gazprom Neft. Each of these projects is unique, requiring a highly individual approach and specific, innovative solutions. I have no doubt that the experience of the Krylov State Research Centre will be utilised to the full in crucial issues such as determining optimum strategy for the development of offshore fields, managing transportation networks, and developing infrastructure.”