Gazprom Neft expands production from Arctic platform

ST. PETERSBURG -- Gazprom Neft has met its annual production targets at the Prirazlomnaya offshore platform, with a total 2,154,000 tonnes of ARCO (Arctic Oil) being produced at the field in 2016—a more than 2.5-fold increase on 2015 volumes. Prirazlomnaya is the only field on the Russian Arctic Shelf at which commercial hydrocarbon production is ongoing.

Oil produced at Prirazlomnoye field is characterized by its high density (at approximately 906 kg per cubic meter), high sulphur content, low carbon residue, and the high volume of fractions that can used in lubricant production.

Oil production at Prirazlomnoye field commenced in December 2013, with the first consignment of the new Arctic oil dispatched in April 2014.

Oil transportation from the field is being handled by two shuttle tankers—the Mikhail Ulyanov and the Kirill Lavrov. Safety is foremost in all operations, with loading commencing only once 30 separate safety requirements are all complied with. The offloading line for the pumping of oil to tankers is equipped with an emergency shut-down system, allowing offloading to be terminated instantaneously.