On Thursday Mr. Komarov together with 15 executive officers of the SDAG took part in a working meeting with representatives of business companies in Arkhangelsk Oblast who wants to get contracts on the first phase of the giant project. The meeting was arranged by “Sozvezdie”, the regional association of oil and gas suppliers. The SDAG speakers especially highlighted the necessity of applying “Russian contents” in the project.
Russian priority
-This will be a fair competition, but at all equal positions priority will be given to Russian companies, - SDAG Vice-President Mr. Erve Modeo underlined when describing possibilities of taking part in the announced tenders. The SDAG leaders stressed that the company will not revise time schedules and that the final investments plan is to be ready and adopted in spring next year.
Arkhangelsk engagement
In the meeting, Arkhangelsk Oblast revealed serious intentions to strengthen its role in the project. Regional authorities and the business community are trying to establish closer contacts with the project operator DSAG. The meeting was the second important step in building closer relations between Arkhangelsk and SDAG. In autumn last year, the region presented its economic potentials in the Moscow office of the company. Over 160 local companies have so far announced their intentions to provide their competence, goods and services for the oil and gas offshore development and have been included in the database of “Sozvezdie”.
The new regional administration is trying to use all possibilities to stay involved in the offshore developments in the Arctic. Governor Ilya Mikhalchuk opened the meeting with an announcement about his regional administration’s preparation of a new bill on state support of investments. That is to provide good tax preferences for investors, he said. The law is to be assessed by the regional Duma.
The new law should make the region more attractive for big business companies, - said Mikhalchuk and noted also that Arkhangelsk Oblast has recently got recognition as one of the most favorable area for small and medium-sized business.
Shipbuilding
Arkhangelsk oblast offers SDAG its economic potential within shipbuilding, transport and logistics, construction industry and training of specialists. The Severodvinsk shipyards Sevmash and Zvezdochka possess serious experiences within construction of installations for the oil and gas industry including offshore platforms, service vessels and different kinds of onshore modules. Nikolai Kalistratov, the Sevmash General Director, said in the meeting that the plant is negotiating with Aker Solutions on the establishing of the joint design bureau aimed at projecting the installations for the oil and gas offshore industry.
His company also recently announced that global petroleum service company Saipem is considering to build a major hydrocarbon production vessel at the plant.
The construction industry in the region includes more than 400 companies with 40,000 workers, many of which have experiences from Arctic areas like Novaya Zemlya, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Kola Peninsula.
Infrastructure
The facilities of the Arkhangelsk Commercial Port, Arkhangelsk airports, the airline companies, forwarding and logistic companies could also find their own niche within the Shtokman development. During and after the meeting they were offered comprehensive consultations with SDAG experts on the procedures of the announced tenders.
The Shtokman Development AG is studying the possibility of the use of the Rogachevo Airport on Novaya Zemlya as a subsidiary project airport. The facilities of the cargo terminal of the Ekonomia have also good possibilities to be used for trans-shipment of cargoes going to the Arctic offshore fields.
On Friday the SDAG delegation is planning to visit a number of companies in Arkhangelsk and Severodvinsk and to negotiate issues of further cooperation with the regional administration.
BarentsObserver Arkhangelsk
