Rosneft, ExxonMobil install Berkut platform offshore Sakhalin Island

Rosneft and ExxonMobil, within the framework of the Sakhalin-1 Consortium, have finished transport operation on transportation and installation of a unique sea drilling platform Berkut, which has the biggest upper part in the world, at Arkutun-Dagi on North East shelf of Sakhalin Island.

The adjustment works will be finished in a matter of days. The upper part of the platform has travelled in hauling mode 2600 km approximately from Korean shipyard with no incidents to report.

The process of adjusting platform equipment was inspected on Monday by Rosneft President, Chairman of the Management Board Igor Sechin and Sakhalin region governor Alexander Khoroshavin.

The weight of the platform (upper and lower parts) exceeds 200 thousand tons, and there are 45 wells at the platform. The Arkutun-Dagi platform will be situated at 25-km distance from the shore, at the site, where the sea depth is up to 35 meters. The drilling will be performed by means of a marine drilling rig, optimized for year-round drilling of wells in a radius of up to 7 km from the platform.

The start of exploitation at Arkutun-Dagi field is expected in December, 2014.

The Berkut platform was designed especially for working in harsh subarctic conditions and can oppose waves up to 18 meters high, the ice floe pressure up to 2 meters thick and temperature up to -44° C.

The exploitation of Arkutun-Dagi field will let to increase the total annual extraction by 4.5 mln tons.

Sakhalin-1 is the first shelf project realized in Russian Federation on PSA terms (forged in 1996).

The project includes the exploitation of three deposits – Chaivo, Odopta and Arkutun-Dagi, situated at North East shelf of Sakhalin Island in the water area of Okhotsk Sea.

The exploitation of deposits is performed in several steps: the first is the exploitation of Chaivo oil deposit (started in 2005) and Odoptu field. The third step presupposes the exploitation (from 2014) of Arkutun-Dagi oil deposit. The life cycle of the project will last up to 2040-2050.

The shares of project participants: Rosneft – 20%; ExxonMobil – 30%; Sodeco – 30%; ONGC Videsh Ltd. – 20%.