Gazprom Neft has completed pre-construction works for its Arctic terminal in the offshore area of the Ob Sea, near Cape Kammeny in the Yamal Peninsula. The terminal is designed to facilitate the year-round despatch of oil from the Novoportovskoye oil and gas condensate field, by tankers.
Supporting oil transportation infrastructure to ensure the effective operation of the Arctic terminal, on the shore of the Ob Sea, includes underwater and overland pipelines running to a total length of 10.5 kilometers; storage facilities; and pumping stations (with built-in hydraulic-impact protection system, minimizing any risk of pipeline leakage). Pre-construction installation works on the terminal (with a total height of over 80 meters) have involved one of the largest crane vessels in the world — the Oleg Strashnov, with a lifting capacity of 5,000 tonnes.
All pre-construction works are expected to be completed in 2015, with full testing of the Arctic terminal (which will have capacity for handling more than 8.5 million tonnes of crude per year) due to commence in early 2016.
All facilities will be built and operated in full compliance with safety and environmental protection regulation. The approved process and instrumentation (P&I) scheme will ensure zero emissions of pollutants into the waters of the OB Sea (both during construction and thereafter), while technical solutions have been developed to ensure fully reliable operation in Arctic conditions.
Oil shipments by seagoing tankers will be undertaken under the oversight of emergency services, and accompanied by icebreaking support vessels.
Gazprom Neft First Deputy CEO Vadim Yakovlev commented: “Pre-construction works on the Arctic terminal mark a major step in the commencement of year-round shipments of Novy Port oil to European customers. Commercial production at Russia’s Novoportovskoye field from early 2016 will mark the emergence of a new, northernmost outpost in oil production, unique in its operating conditions, infrastructure and transportation facilities.
Supplies from Novy Port are expected to reach two million tonnes as early as 2016, and we expect to be producing more than four million tonnes here from 2017.”
