OREANDA-NEWS. February 09, 2015. The Prirazlomnoye oilfield is located in the Pechora Sea, 60 kilometres from the shore. Recoverable reserves are in the order of 70 million tonnes. The operator on the project is Gazprom Neft and the licence holder Gazpromneft-Shelf LLC.

The Prirazlomnoye platform has been constructed to ensure maximum safety in oil production. With the walls of the platform base some three metres thick, the drilling of wells within this will ensure full isolation from the surrounding environment. . Oil storage on the platform involves a “wet” reservoir storage system, which prevents the ingress of oxygen and thus avoids the creation of an environment in which explosions can occur.

A “zero discharge” system integrated into the platform will also prevent the discharge of any production or drilling waste into the sea. These will, instead, be injected into a special reinjection well or, if necessary, collected in containers and transferred to the shore for recycling. Oil is loaded onto tankers using a complex direct-loading system, running diagonally from the south—west to the north—east corners of the platform. Oil shipments can only begin, however, when 30 vital conditions occur concurrently. The offloading line for pumping oil to tankers is equipped with an emergency shutdown system, with a maximum seven-second response time. Water intake is controlled through a fish-protection system similar to the operation of louvered blinds.

Concurrently with monitoring of the Atlantic walrus, 2014 saw the continuation of a programme promoting the recovery of marine bio-resources, through which some 30,000 Atlantic salmon fry were released into the natural reservoir of the Northern Fishing Basin. All rig crews are fully briefed to take extra care in the event of any marine wildlife appearing during manoeuvres. To reduce noise disturbance helicopter pilots also fly over the sea a height that keeps things comfortable for its inhabitants.