Russian shipyard busy with Arctic projects

Milan-based Saipem, a subsidiary of Eni, may partner with Russia’s Sevmash shipyard to build a floating production vessel for the Shtokman natural gas project in the Barents Sea, Sevmash said in a May 20 release. Saipem expressed interest in becoming the general contractor for the design and construction of the vessel after representatives of the Italian company visited the shipyard in Arkhangelsk Oblast recently.

Construction of the vessel would be the biggest task Sevmash has ever undertaken and the shipyard would need to upgrade its production facilities substantially, increase its crane equipment capacity and modernize its hydroelectric plant. These improvements will be made using financing from Gazprom and the Russian government, according to Valery Borodin, Sevmash’s vice president for marine engineering production and civil shipbuilding.

In late May Sevmash also received the news that the Russian government had granted it permission to allow foreign vessels to deliver housing modules for the Prirazlomnaya drilling rig it is building for use by a Gazprom subsidiary in the Pechora Sea. According to a decree from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, foreign vessels will be allowed into the closed military city until Dec. 31 of this year. The Belgian crane vessel Rambiz and the Norwegian barge UR-91 are expected to bring supplies to Sevmash.

—Sarah Hurst