OREANDA-NEWS. December 24, 2012. The Scientific and Technical Center of the JSC TATNEFT will be located in "Skolkovo" Research and Technology Park (Technopark). The ceremony of signing the Agreement on the establishment and location of the STC of TATNEFT in the Technical Center territory was held with participation of Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Viktor Vekselberg, President of the "Skolkovo" Foundation, Shafagat Takhautdinov, General Director of the JSC TATNEFT and the Company's top managers.

Viktor Vekselberg, the "Skolkovo" Foundation President said at the signing ceremony: "Today is a very important and enjoyable day for me. Signing agreements with world leaders indicates that the "Skolkovo" project is rapidly developing. The agreement with the JSC TATNEFT is no less important. The history of the Russian oil industry is rooted in Tatarstan. The scientific potential basis in the oil production sector also has its roots in Tatarstan. Hopefully we will be able to provide substantial support in creating TATNEFT's R & D center and involve international partners in this project".

Welcoming the audience President of Tatarstan pointed out that the Republic has historically been one of the leading research centers in Eastern Europe and possesses a strong research and technological potential based on the integration of the fundamental academic, university and applied sciences.

The innovation infrastructure established in Tatarstan allows to successfully meet challenges of a competitive economy establishment. The most active in these industry sectors are enterprises of crude oil production, crude oil refining, petrochemicals production and engineering, as well as the IT-sector. In the republic, there is the "Alabuga" Russia's largest special economic zone of industrial production operating, IT-park, four industrial parks, "Khimgrad" technopolis, 14 technology parks, and the financial infrastructure to support innovative entrepreneurship has been formed. Pursuing the chosen development strategy Tatarstan started implementation of the "Innopolis" innovation center construction project, which is based in Kazan.

Rustam Minnikhanov specifically emphasized the unique experience of TATNEFT in the development and implementation of innovative technologies. Working in the conditions of fields at the later stage of development the professionals of the Company manage to explore opportunities for large-scale projects implementation. TATNEFT is the main investor of constructing the "TANECO" oil refining complex. The industrial giant being erected in Nizhnekamsk meets the requirements of the most up-to-date counterparts according to its design specifications.

Shafagat Takhautdinov, General Director of the JSC TATNEFT, focused in his response on the Company's major production development vectors. Implementation of innovative enhanced oil recovery methods allowed TATNEFT to increase the crude oil production volume by over thirty percent in recent years, application of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods today accounts for production of 45 percent of the total crude oil production. Advanced technologies and a wide range of modern methods of enhanced crude oil recovery (EOR) designed and implemented by the professionals of the Joint Stock Company have gained widespread acceptance in the regions of Russia and are applied in oil companies in other countries.

The most important area for the Company is production of extra-viscous oil, which resources are estimated in the amount of up to 7 billion tons in Tatarstan and are considered among the largest in Russia. Modern equipment and innovative technologies are applied for the development of these fields.

Originally the STC of the JSC TATNEFT will be located on the basis of TatNIPIneft research and design center of the Company. Ravil Ibatullin, Director of TatNIPIneft, outlined the prospects of the STC of TATNEFT development in the "Skolkovo" territory, where some of the most up-to-date and relevant projects will be developed in two clusters: "Energy-efficient and IT-technologies". The Agreement provides for carrying out research in the area of crude oil and gas production, exploration of crude oil and gas fields, processing of crude oil and gas, petrochemicals, resource conservation and IT-technologies. Among these are the technologies for heavy oil, environmentally oriented projects, methods for the effective management of intellectual fields development, etc.

The Agreement signed is a new step in the creation of the world-class technology and equipment, as well as in attracting foreign and Russian partners to the implementation of innovative solutions in the interest of both TATNEFT and the industry of the Republic of Tatarstan and the fuel and energy complex of Russia and the "Skolkovo" Foundation.

A series of books of the Company's corporate library was presented on behalf of TATNEFT to the "Skolkovo" Foundation in memory of this solemn occasion.

In turn, Viktor Vekselberg, presented to President Rustam Minnikhanov and General Director Shafagat Takhautdinov a symbolic key to the "Skolkovo" Foundation and a symbolic crystal brick with the logos of the Innopolis and the JSC TATNEFT. The presented attributes embody solidarity and unity towards a common goal achievement.