Rogozin: better to reschedule shelf development, but use Russian-built vessels
MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Interfax) - Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin believes Russian industry will be able to supply the equipment needed to develop Arctic shelf resources, but a little more time may be needed.
"The goal set by [President Vladimir] Putin is extremely straightforward and clear: we are not going to buy any kind of technology for developing these shelf fields. We will build it ourselves in Russia. We are better off moving back development of a field by a year, but then delivering high-tech civilian vessels," Rogozin said in an interview on the Rossiya 24 television channel.
Development of technology for Arctic projects - drilling platforms, LNG carriers - is already underway, Rogozin said, adding that the Zvezda shipyard in the Far East was taking part in the effort.
The defense industry has the task of helping to develop the needed civilian shipbuilding technologies, he said.
Russia's Marine College will prepare and present to the government by January 21 data on the sector-wide requirements for civilian seagoing and river vessels: passenger vessels, fishing vessels, shelf technology, etc.
After that the overall order will be put together and distributed among the existing enterprises, Rogozin said.
Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Denis Khramov said previously that Russia would need 15-17 drilling rigs for shelf operations in 2015-2020, along with over 70 support vessels, six-seven seismic surveying vessels and two-three icebreakers.