Gazprom's Arctic Offshore Platform Ships Its 200th Oil Cargo

Gazprom Neft, the oil branch of Russian gas giant Gazprom, has shipped the 200th consignment of ARCO crude from its Prirazlomnaya offshore platform in the Russian arctic.

This milestone shipment was carried out by the Mikhail Ulyanov tanker — several return trips to the Prirazlomnaya platform being necessary to despatch a consignment comprising 70,000 tonnes of oil. 

"The vessel typically approaches one of various direct-loading facilities — or moves away from the platform, at a safe distance — depending on the prevailing wind direction, currents and movements of ice. A dynamic positioning system helps keep the vessel in place during transhipment, but the operation itself only starts once 30 essential safety criteria have been met," Gazprom Neft said earlier this week.

Oil has been transported by Sovcomflot tankers since the platforms was first commissioned. Mikhail Ulanov was responsible for the first shipment of Arctic oil in 2014.

“Despatching the 200th oil consignment confirms the considerable stability and safety of the logistics strategy we use. We have developed an ice-management system to ensure continuous operation, year-round, under extreme climatic conditions. 

Sergey Chigai, acting CEO of Gazprom Neft said: “Despatching the 200th oil consignment confirms the considerable stability and safety of the logistics strategy we use. We have developed an ice-management system to ensure continuous operation, year-round, under extreme climatic conditions. This involves continuous analysis and forecasting of hydrometeorological conditions, together with ice-class vessels and icebreakers. Collaboration with Sovcomflot — whose two tankers have, for the past six years, allowed us to ensure reliable oil transportation from the Barents Sea to the Kola Bay — is a further important element in the successful implementation of the Prirazlomnoye project.”

The ice-resistant Prirazlomnaya platform is located at the Prirazlomnoye offshore oilfield in the south—east of the Barents Sea, 60 kilometers offshore. 

Recoverable reserves are in the order of 79 million tonnes. The license to develop this field is held by Gazpromneft-Shelf LLC, a subsidiary of Gazprom Neft. Commercial development of the Prirazlomnoye field started in December 2013, with the new oil blend, “ARCO”, shipped in April 2014. Gazprom Neft produced its 13-millionth tonne of oil at the Prirazlomnoye field in April 2020.