Three artificial islands in the Barents Sea. Four artificial islands to be created in the Barents Sea
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Igor Yushkov
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on the creation of four artificial islands in the Kola Bay of the Barents Sea. They will be poured by Kola Shipyard LLC (a subsidiary of Novatek OJSC). The corresponding document is published on the website of the government. It follows from it that the Kola Shipyard is going to conclude an agreement with Rosmorrechflot. And the islands are being poured for a reason, but for the implementation of a project called the Center for the Construction of Large-Tonnage Offshore Structures.
Earlier it was reported that Novatek would invest more than 25 billion rubles in the project. The project provides for the creation of a specialized shipyard capable of producing unique offshore facilities - reinforced concrete gravity-type platforms for LNG plants, drilling and production platforms for offshore projects in the western sector of the Arctic and large-capacity structures to ensure the operation of the Northern Sea Route. It is assumed that the construction of the Center will create about 10 thousand jobs, increase tax revenues to the budget, attract additional investment to the region and promote the process of import substitution and localization of technologies.
Islands are planned to be created near the village of Belokamenka Murmansk region. They will be built as part of the Arctic-LNG-1 and Arctic-LNG-2 projects, which, in particular, involve the development of the Gydana field in Gulf of Ob Kara Sea. The construction of the shipyard may begin before the end of the year, the first floating LNG plants will be laid down in 2018. The construction of the Center for the construction of large-tonnage offshore structures is planned to be completed by 2020.
The first question that arises when reading this information is why swell billions in the construction of new islands? We do not have Japan, where there is not enough land.
Residents of the Murmansk region are skeptical about the news. Here is what Igor Opimakh, a journalist from the city of Polyarny, writes on Facebook: “Have you all read it? Medvedev ordered the construction of four islands in the Barents Sea. On the government website they specify: in the middle knee of the Kola Bay. It seems that Khana will come to Roslyakov Bay and especially Gryaznaya Bay, it’s shallow there, the very thing is to fill up the drain and profane: we have created artificial islands.
Indeed, the idea of \u200b\u200bbuilding the islands raises many questions, - says Igor Yushkov, a leading expert of the National Energy Security Fund, a lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. - Initially, the project was announced differently - it was assumed that gas liquefaction work would be carried out on the shore of the Kola Bay in the village of Belokamenka. It was planned to build two dry docks there, lay the foundations for gas liquefaction plants. These units were supposed to be delivered to the Gulf of Ob, connected to a single LNG plant, gas for which would be supplied from fields in the area. In particular, from the Gydan Peninsula.
Novatek has already won several auctions for the development of gas fields, having previously lobbied for the condition that gas from these fields must be liquefied. And since apart from this company, no one in Russia is particularly involved in the construction of LNG plants, Novotek is, in fact, the only participant in these auctions.
Now, in order to develop the received resource base, the company attended to the construction of what is officially called the "Center for the construction of large-tonnage offshore structures." Although it is not clear what will be built there. At first they said - there will be only Bottom part the same floating platform. Then - that there will be some upper superstructure. But why artificial islands are needed for this is difficult to understand. Moreover, the amount allocated for this is very large.
"SP": - In general, the project "Arktik-LNG" is expensive?
The original meaning of the project for the construction of the Center in the Kola Bay was precisely to implement it in a fairly developed area of the Arctic. That is, to develop and modernize something that has already been built, saving on this. Otherwise, it was possible to create everything from scratch closer to the place of gas production - in Yamal.
Novotek has repeatedly stated that Arctic LNG will be one third cheaper than Yamal LNG, which is already being sold. The cost reduction was planned to be achieved due to the location of gas liquefaction plants on gravity platforms. Apparently, using the example of Yamal LNG, they realized that building a plant on land in permafrost conditions is not a cheap pleasure. Especially in conditions when the permafrost is melting, and the land under the LNG plant can turn into a swamp.
And a significant part of the equipment has to be delivered by aircraft. More recently, another Ruslan landed in Yamal with 70 tons of equipment on board. All this is difficult and expensive.
In addition, there is very diverse cooperation in the Yamal LNG project: gas liquefaction technology was taken from the Americans, the liquefaction units themselves were assembled in China, which were then transported to Yamal to the port of Sabetta.
I think that it is with the project to build a floating LNG plant that Novatek is trying to attract investors. However, when the Yamal LNG project was being implemented, hydrocarbons were expensive, so it was not difficult to find investors. Now - a different picture. The company is trying to save money by making the project purely domestic. And at the same time to create a Center for LNG technologies. That is, on the one hand, they seek to fit into the import substitution program, and on the other hand, to attract foreign investors. Thus, there is a chance to receive money from the state, which, as it were, will go to the development of the Murmansk transport hub.
I think that Novatek still wants to be rehabilitated in the eyes of the Russian government in the sense that Yamal LNG was almost completely implemented on imported equipment and with the participation of foreign companies - German, American, Chinese - there was not so much Russian there . Despite the fact that the construction of the port of Sabetta and dredging were carried out at public expense. That is, there was a "nationalization of costs" and "privatization" of profits from the project. This time they want to show that everything will be different, but no one has yet clearly explained what artificial islands are for. That is, a "thrifty" project begins with dubious expenses.
"SP": - How can the sanctions affect the LNG-Arctic project? Is it known that the United States imposed a ban on the supply of equipment for offshore hydrocarbon production?
So far, the sanctions have only affected oil production, although it is often difficult to separate it from gas production. Usually these types of hydrocarbons are adjacent. Even under the administration of Barack Obama, the Europeans persuaded the Americans not to impose sanctions on the Russian gas industry. In addition, the fields that Novatek is currently developing are mainly located in the Gulf of Ob and are considered not offshore, but simply offshore. Nevertheless, as far as I have information, all deliveries have already been completed for this project. The company was in a hurry to purchase equipment in advance in case the Americans still impose sanctions on the gas industry in Russia.
"SP": - Does the state bear risks if the projects of the private company "Novotek" turn out to be unprofitable?
State participation in the company is slightly less than 10%. If we talk about the Yamal LNG project, the state has allocated about 300 billion rubles for its implementation. If we assume that due to a sharp decline in hydrocarbon prices, Arctic gas production will be unprofitable for a long time and the company will go bankrupt, then the return of this amount to the state is rather problematic. In addition, for quite a long time, Novatek was exempted from paying export duties, from MET (mineral extraction tax). So far, the state is getting very little from Novatek's Arctic projects.
So far, very little information about the project has been brought to our attention, - says the director of the Institute national energy Sergey Pravosudov. - I think that literally a few specialists close to the management of Novatek are devoted to the details. It is known that the bet will be made not on stationary LNG onshore, but on a floating platform. But why bulk islands are needed, and even so far from the place of gas production, is completely incomprehensible. For example, Royal Dutch Shell is implementing a similar project with a floating LNG plant in Australia, but does not plan to build any islands for this.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev ordered build four new islands in the Barents Sea. They will produce equipment for the production and storage of natural gas.
The government order states that in accordance with Article 7 of the Federal Law "On artificial land plots created on federally owned water bodies and on amendments to certain legislative acts Russian Federation"determine that Rosmorrechflot enters into agreements with the limited liability company "Kolskaya Verf" on the creation of 4 artificial land plots in the Kola Bay (middle elbow) of the Barents Sea for the purpose of construction and operation of the Center for the Construction of Large-tonnage Offshore Structures (TsSKMS). A complex for the manufacture of gravity-type foundations and integration of topsides modules" without holding an open auction for the right to conclude such contracts.
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New plots of land will appear in the Kola Bay by 2020, and the project cost is estimated at 25 billion rubles. The government guarantees that not a single penny from the budget will leak into the Barents Sea - the Kola Shipyard LLC, a subsidiary of NOVATEK, will invest in the project. The company did not go through any competitive procedures - at the disposal of the prime minister, it is listed as the only contractor.
On artificial islands in the Kola Bay, the Center for the Construction of Large-tonnage Offshore Structures will be located, which will manufacture marine complexes for the production, storage and shipment of liquefied natural gas on the shelf in the Murmansk region, as well as repair and maintenance of marine equipment. The prime minister's order states that the new facilities will create about 10,000 jobs in the Arctic, as well as "increase tax revenues to the budgets of all levels", attract investment to the region and develop new technologies in production. It is known that the construction will be carried out within the framework of the project for the development of the Arctic gas shelves "Arctic-LNG", and the Gydan field will serve as a resource base for the center on the islands. It is planned that about 16.5 million tons of liquefied natural gas will be produced there annually.
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NOVATEK announces that the Company's subsidiary Arctic LNG-1 LLC won the auction for the right to use the Gydan subsoil for the purpose of geological study, exploration and production of hydrocarbon raw materials. The license is issued for a period of 27 years. As a result of the auction, a one-time payment for the use of subsoil was determined at the level of 2,262 million rubles.
The company already has a significant resource base on the Gydan Peninsula, including the Utrenneye, Geophysical and Ladertoyskoye fields, as well as the Trekhbugorny, Nyavuyakhsky, Zapadno-Solpatinsky, Tanamsky and Severo-Tanamsky blocks. The Gydansky block is located in close proximity to the Utrenneye field, which will serve as a resource base for the Arctic LNG-2 project. Obtaining a license for the Gydansky block allows to significantly increase the resource base of NOVATEK on the Gydan Peninsula and to consider new large-scale LNG projects of the Company. According to the Russian classification, the total resource potential of the area is 4,740 million barrels of oil equivalent of hydrocarbons.
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The licenses for the development of the Geophysical and Salmanovskoye (Utrenneye) fields on the Gydan Peninsula were acquired in September 2011 and are valid until 2031.
The Salmanovskoye (Utrenneye) field, located in the northern part of the Gydan Peninsula and partly in the Gulf of Ob, in close proximity to the South Tambeyskoye field, was discovered in 1980. In terms of recoverable reserves, it is the largest of the fields discovered at this moment on the Gydan Peninsula, and consists of 34 deposits, including 16 gas, 15 gas condensate, 2 oil and gas condensate and 1 oil. The proven reserves of the field according to SEC standards as of the end of 2014 amounted to 259.8 billion cubic meters. m of gas and 9.6 million tons of liquid hydrocarbons.
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The geophysical oil and gas condensate field, located in the middle part of the Gydan Peninsula on the coast of the Gulf of Ob, was discovered in 1975 and consists of 35 deposits, including 19 gas deposits, 12 gas condensate deposits, 3 oil deposits and 1 oil and gas condensate deposit. As of the end of 2014, the proven reserves of the field according to SEC standards amounted to 125.6 billion cubic meters. m of gas and 0.4 million tons of liquid hydrocarbons.
In December 2014, LLC Arctic LNG 1 (a subsidiary of the Company) won the auction for the right to use the subsoil of the Trekhbugorny subsoil located on the Gydan Peninsula and bordering the Geophysical licensed area of the Company. The reserves of the Trekhbugorny site in categories С1+С2 of the Russian classification amount to 5.9 billion cubic meters. m of natural gas, recoverable resources exceed 1 trillion cubic meters. m of gas and 90 million tons of liquid hydrocarbons.
In 2016, NOVATEK continued full-scale exploration work at sites on the Gydan Peninsula in order to clarify resource potential this strategically important region for the Company. In the period 2014-2016. a total of 5 wells were drilled at the Utrenneye field, the results of their testing allowed increasing the reserves of the field and confirming the higher productivity of the wells.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on the creation of four artificial islands in the Kola Bay of the Barents Sea. According to experts, this will greatly simplify the development of mineral deposits located in this region. However, this is not the first such project in Russia. RT found out for what other purposes a new land is being created.
- © Wikimedia / Tom Thiel
Four artificial islands will be created in the Kola Bay of the Barents Sea. The corresponding order was signed on June 15 by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The construction of new islands was entrusted to the company "Kola Shipyard"
On the islands themselves, a "Center for the Construction of Large-tonnage Offshore Structures" will operate, where complexes for offshore mining will be created.
"The center is intended for the manufacture of offshore complexes for the production, storage and shipment of liquefied natural gas and stable gas condensate on gravity-type bases, offshore production complexes, as well as the repair and maintenance of offshore equipment and equipment used for the development of offshore oil and gas condensate fields," cabinet website.
Kola Shipyard is a subsidiary of Novatek, which decided to invest 25 billion rubles in the project. The project will help create about 10,000 jobs and attract new investment to the region.
Experience is available
Russia began to create artificial islands several centuries ago, both for the expansion of territories and for military purposes. At the beginning of the 18th century, Turtle Island was built in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, where the citadel was located. Later, the island lost its strategic importance, but today, at low tide, you can still see parts of it.
And today in Russia, the creation of artificial land plots is actively underway. Roman Pukalov, director of environmental programs at the Green Patrol, noted that there are already such successful projects in Russia. So, bulk dams were created in the Kerch Strait during the construction of the Crimean bridge.
“There were similar projects, the same Tuzla Spit, which goes from Taman towards Kerch - this is in many ways artificial structure. Building Kerch bridge, the spit expanded, filled up and changed,” the expert explains.
- globallookpress.com
- © Serguei Fomine
The bridge across the Kerch Strait will connect the Crimea and Krasnodar region. It is planned that it will become the longest in Russia. Its length will be 19 km. Drivers can try new bridge as early as December 2018.
As RT reported, the builders have already completed the assembly of the railway arch.
Projects for a better life
In 2006, the expansion of the western part of the Vasilyevsky Island. The area of the new territories of the island will be about 476 hectares. The Sea Façade project is one of the largest coastal development projects in the world.
- © www.mfspb.ru
The expansion of the island has not yet been completed, but a specialized sea port which is popular among foreign tourists.
In the future, residential buildings, schools, hospitals and commercial facilities will also be built on this part of the island.
Solving many problems
As Director of the Energy Development Fund Sergei Pikin notes, this is an important step for Russia, since at the moment there are not so many such projects in our country. In addition, according to the expert, artificial land help make mining easier natural resources, as the necessary complexes will be located on them.
"The system of building artificial islands is the most beneficial, because it will help solve many problems related to infrastructure," the expert believes.
Ecologist Roman Pukalov notes that such construction requires not only a well-thought-out project, but also an independent environmental review.
“The Kola Bay is a natural environment, you need to carefully look at how the current flows along the bay itself, whether this will impede the movement of aquatic organisms, how long the work will be done in order to avoid the disturbance factor during the spawning period. This needs to be thought through very carefully,” the ecologist says.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev approved a plan of priority measures for the creation in the Barents Sea of a Center for the construction of large-capacity offshore structures - artificial islands, on which gas production will be carried out, as well as the operation and repair of marine equipment.
"The center is intended for the manufacture of offshore complexes for the production, storage and shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and stable gas condensate on gravity-type bases, offshore production complexes, as well as the repair and maintenance of marine machinery and equipment used for the development of offshore oil and gas condensate fields", - is indicated in the message of the Cabinet.
The document also explains that the construction of artificial land plots in the waters of the Kola Bay is necessary to accommodate the facilities of the center. Artificial land plots will be created at the expense of Kola Shipyard LLC's own funds. The volume of capital investments under the project will amount to more than 25 billion rubles.
“LLC “Kolskaya Verf” received permission from Rosmorrechflot to create artificial land plots on a water body. By the signed order, Kola Shipyard LLC has been designated as the person with whom Rosmorrechflot will conclude an agreement on the creation of four artificial land plots in the Kola Bay of the Barents Sea, ”the text explains.
In addition, the explanatory note says that the construction of the center will create about 10,000 jobs at the shipyard itself, increase tax revenues to the budgets of all levels, attract additional investment to the region, and develop new high-tech industries.
The administrative address of the object will be the village of Belokamenka of the closed administrative-territorial formation of Aleksandrovsk, Murmansk region. In addition, it recommended that the federal executive authorities, the authorities of the Murmansk region and local self-government help in reducing the time for registration of land plots for the construction of the center, as well as the time for conducting examinations and issuing permits. Local authorities were also asked to consider granting tax breaks on taxes.
Construction in Belokamenka will be carried out as part of the Arctic LNG project, which involves the production of 16.5 million tons of liquefied natural gas per year. The resource base for it will be the Gydan fields. Denis Khramov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of NOVATEK, said earlier that, together with Yamal LNG (the company's second LNG project of similar capacity), Arctic LNG would be able to occupy about 7% of the global liquefied gas market.
In July 2015, the Russian Minister of Natural Resources addressed a letter to the Prime Minister in which he took the initiative to review the existing restrictions on the access of non-state companies to the Murmansk gas field in the Barents Sea.
According to Donskoy, after the decree of the President of Russia on the liberalization of access to the shelf, he submitted proposals on this topic to the government for consideration, but the final decision was not made. The president, who, along with Gazprom, was issued documents giving the right to explore and develop fields, had previously protested against the appearance of other companies on the shelf.
According to the director of Small Letters, the shelf field in Murmansk will be effective only as a project focused on the export of liquefied natural gas. At the moment, Rosneft and Yamal LNG have permission to export LNG.
A year earlier, it was reported that Gazprom and Rosneft received the rights to two offshore areas.
In August 2014, Gazprom received the right to use the Kheysovsky subsoil block with an area of 83,590 sq. km, located in the Barents Sea. Inferred resources for oil - 393.7 million tons (geological resources) and 118.1 million tons (recoverable resources), for gas - 2081.4 billion cubic meters. m, for condensate - 32.6 million tons (geological resources) and 22.8 million tons (recoverable resources). At the same time, Rosneft was granted the rights to use the Pritaymyrsky subsoil block with an area of 20,619 sq. km in the Laptev Sea. The Taimyr area has predicted geological oil resources of 348.6 million tons, recoverable resources - 104.6 million tons, gas - 362.8 billion cubic meters. m.
MOSCOW, June 17 - RIA Novosti. Four artificial islands will appear in the Barents Sea - Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed an order on the creation of land plots in the Kola Bay for the Center for the Construction of Large-tonnage Offshore Structures. This is part of a large-scale project to develop the Yamal gas fields, which is being developed by Novatek.
The construction contract will be concluded between Rosmorrechflot and Kola Shipyard (a subsidiary of Novatek).
The center is intended for the manufacture of marine complexes for the production, storage and shipment of liquefied natural gas, as well as for the repair and maintenance of marine machinery and equipment used for the development of offshore oil and gas condensate fields.
The islands will be created at the expense of the Kola Shipyard's own funds, the volume of capital investments will be more than 25 billion rubles. The company has already received the corresponding permission from Rosmorrechflot.
"The construction of the center will create about 10,000 jobs at the shipyard itself, increase tax revenues to the budgets of all levels, attract additional investment to the region, and develop new high-tech industries," the document says.
Strategic investment project
A center for the construction of large-capacity offshore structures is planned to be created in the village of Belokamenka, Murmansk Region, by the end of 2020. The first dry dock is to be commissioned in the first half of 2019.
In early June, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Novatek signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the conclusion of a special investment contract with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the government of the Murmansk Region, fixing the intentions of the parties to conclude a tripartite special investment contract for the creation of the Kola shipyard.
"For the effective development of the huge resource base of the Far North, reducing the cost of construction and increasing the competitiveness of our future LNG projects, we consider it extremely important to create a Center for the construction of large-capacity offshore structures in Russia. With the help of the Kola Shipyard, we plan to achieve maximum localization of LNG plants on platform bases gravitational type and their readiness for production,” said Leonid Mikhelson, chairman of the board of Novatek, at the time.
The Governor of the Murmansk Region Marina Kovtun, in turn, noted the scale of the planned investment volume - more than 50 billion rubles for the first stage. Therefore, the project was given the status of a strategic investment project in the Murmansk region, she explained.
According to Kovtun, the decision to build the center was also made because the region is also implementing a project for the integrated development of the Murmansk transport hub, which will provide west coast Kola Bay railway.
Gas from Yamal
Yamal is the richest place in terms of gas reserves. According to the governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug Dmitry Kobylkin, taking into account the resources of the Gydan Peninsula, it is possible to produce more than 70 million tons of LNG in Yamal. Novatek is actively working in the region.
Thus, the modules that will be produced at the Kola shipyard are intended for a new center for the production of liquefied natural gas, which Novatek plans to build on the Gydan Peninsula.
Its resource base will be the Utrenneye oil and gas condensate field with reserves of more than 1.2 trillion cubic meters. The concept of the project involves the construction of a complex on platforms in the Gulf of Ob near coastline peninsulas.
This LNG plant will be the second one in Yamal. The first Novatek is already building as part of the Yamal LNG project, which is being implemented on the resource base of the Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye field. The total capacity of the plant is 16.5 million tons per year. In total, it is planned to build three lines, the first of which should be put into operation this year, and the enterprise will reach its full capacity in 2019.
The seaport of Sabetta will provide year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route. The latest gas carriers are being built for LNG transportation - the first of them was recently named in honor of the French entrepreneur, head of the oil company Total, Christophe de Margerie, who died in 2014 in a disaster at Vnukovo airport, and a total of 15 such vessels are to be built.
According to Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, the launch of Yamal LNG at full capacity will increase gas exports by more than 10 percent and increase Russia's share in the global LNG market to 8-9 percent.