Gazprom sends rig from Black Sea to new Arctic drill site
The «Amazon» makes it from the Turkish port of Tuzla to Gulf of Ob as owner Gazprom gets ready for new Arctic drilling.
The 6,570 ton heavy jackup rig spent 45 days on the voyage which was commanded by tugs from the Northern Shipping Company. Instrumental in the operation was Chinese heavy load vessel Hia Yang She You 278, News29 reports.
The rig was first transported to Sabetta, the new Arctic port on the northeastern tip of Yamal Peninsula, and from there towed to the port of Yamburg on the eastern bank of the Ob Gulf.
The «Amazon» will reportedly spend the winter in Yamburg and next year engage in drilling in the area.
Data from MarineTraffic shows that the Yang She You 278 now is in the Kola Bay on its way back from the operation.
According to PortNews, the «Amazon» is next year to drill a well in accordance with Gazprom’s development program.
It is not clear exactly which well will be drilled. But it could be the Kamennomysskoye-More, a structure located nearby in the Gulf of Ob. The field is located on very shallow waters and holds more than 550 billion cubic meters of natural gas.
Gazprom has an ambitious development program for the area. Drilling is conducted on the onshore Tambey and Kruzenshternsky license areas, as well as the offhore Leningradskoye.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Test clean energy solutions in south before implementing them in Arctic communities: report, Radio Canada International
Finland: Nord Stream 2 applies for Finnish building permit to build gas pipeline, Yle News
Norway: Another disappointment in Barents Sea exploratory drilling, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Chinese company confirms interest in trans-Arctic shipping to Arkhangelsk, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Volvo to go all electric starting in 2019, Radio Sweden
United States: U.S. transportation secretary announces efforts to speed up project development in Alaska, Alaska Dispatch News
