Offshore staff

MURMANSK, Russia – The ice-resistant fixed platform for Gazprom’s Prirazlomnoye field off northern Russia is nearing completion.

Gazprom officials recently visited an affiliate of the Zvezdochka Shiprepairing Center to inspect the platform.

The main and auxiliary electric power generators are installed, and startup operations are under way. Electrical work for the drilling equipment is near completion, and final assembly and testing of the oil spill response system is in progress. Evacuation and fire-fighting systems are ready for service.

Following a meeting at the yard, Gazprom tasked its structural units and contractor companies with prompt completion of the platform and making preparations for the tow-out to the field.

After placing the platform in the field center, where the water depth is nearly 19 m (62 ft), a safety berm will be laid around it. Simultaneously, preparations for drilling will be initiated.

Prirazlomnoye was discovered in 1989 on the Pechora Sea shelf, 60 km (37 mi) offshore (Varandey settlement) in a water depth of 19-20 m (62-65.6 ft). It contains an estimated 72 MMtons of oil.

Forty slanted wells will be drilled from the platform, designed to deliver annual production of 6.6 MMtons. Production operations are scheduled to start later this year.

This is the first offshore ice-resistant stationary platform designed and built in Russia (in this case by Sevmash Production Association). The 141 m (462 ft) tall platform structure is supported by a 126 x 126 m (413 ft) caisson. It will accommodate 200 people year-round.

The platform will be capable of performing all process operations on site, namely drilling, oil production and storage, treatment, and offloading.

Its main features are its resistance to strong ice loads, long self-sustainability, and year-round operability. It is also designed to receive oil from other fields in the region, the aim being to reduce infrastructure costs.

The license to explore and produce hydrocarbons in the Prirazlomnoye field is owned by Gazprom neft shelf (ex-Sevmorneftegaz).

08/11/2011