Prirazlomnoye oil production platform heads to Pechora Sea

Aug. 19, 2011
Tow is underway of an ice-resistant platform to Gazprom neft’s Prirazlomnoye field in the Russian sector of the Barents Sea.

Offshore staff

MURMANSK, Russia -- Tow is underway of an ice-resistant platform to Gazprom neft’s Prirazlomnoye field in the Russian sector of the Barents Sea.

The platform sailed out of the Zvezdochka Shiprepairing Center shipyard following completion of all startup operations. It is being transported by a combination of the icebreaker vessel Vladislav Strizhov and the tug/supply vessels Kigoriak, Neptun, and EEMS. The 1,200-km (745-mi) journey to the field should take around two weeks.

The platform will provide all drilling, production and oil storage services, along with preparation and shipment of final products from the Prirazlomnoye field. Drilling of the first production well should start before year end, with a total of 40 wells due to be drilled.

This is the first offshore ice-resistant stationary platform designed and built in Russia. It is 126 m (413 ft) wide by 126 m long, with an unballasted weight of 117,000 tons, and accommodation for a crew of up to 200, providing year-round operation. It has been designed to operate in severe climatic conditions and to withstand high loads.

Morneftegazproekt is the platform’s general designer, and the Sevmash Production Association the general contractor for construction.

Special features include a zero discharge system for drilling and production waste. This will be injected into special absorption wells or, if necessary, collected in containers and transported to the coast.

The Prirazlomnoye oil field is on the Pechora Sea shelf, 60 km (37 mi) offshore. It contains oil reserves of 72 MM tons (525 MMbbl) – the development is targeting annual production of over 6 MM tons (43.8 MMbbl). Associated produced gas will be used for the platform’s needs.

08/19/2011