OREANDA-NEWS. February 25, 2010. In Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk Oblast) the Gazprom delegation led by Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Company’s Management Committee has visited the shipbuilding companies with which Gazprom’s orders were placed.

The delegation got acquainted with the construction of the Prirazlomnaya offshore ice-resistant stationary platform at the Sevmash Production Association and the Arkticheskaya jack-up floating drilling rig at the Zvezdochka Shiprepairing Center. Both facilities will be used for the Arctic shelf development.

At Sevmash, Alexander Ananenkov held a meeting on constructing offshore equipment to develop the Russian shelf.

The meeting was attended by heads and experts from Gazprom’s specialized subdivisions, Gazprom dobycha shelf, Gazprom neft shelf, Gazflot, Gazprom gazobezopasnost, as well as representatives from the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry, shipbuilding companies, the Krylov Shipbuilding Research Institute, the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering, the Corall Central Design Bureau.

It was pointed out that the potential of the domestic shipbuilding companies would be fully exploited in creating the offshore equipment and fleet required by Gazprom. In order to develop the continental shelf, the Company will need more than ten drilling and production platforms, over 60 vessels and various floating equipment items, as well as several dozens of LNG carriers until 2030.

The meeting paid particular attention to the current issues of the Prirazlomnaya platform and the Arkticheskaya rig construction. The management of the shipbuilding plants provided the data on the progress with the construction and installation operations. It was highlighted that the said facilities were at the final construction stage.

An emphasis was placed on moving the Prirazlomnaya platform to and placing it in the projected location.

Based on the meeting results, Gazprom’s specialized subdivisions and subsidiaries, the Sevmash Production Association and the Zvezdochka Shiprepairing Center were tasked to complete the platform and the rig in 2010.