Work Started on Gazprom Ice Resistant Platform

The construction of an ice resistant platform for Gazprom’s Kamennomysskoye-Sea field on the Arctic shelf has begun, the company has revealed.

Kamennomysskoye-Sea’s platform will be more than 440 feet long, 226 feet wide, 134 feet tall and its weight will exceed 40,000 tons in total. Structures placed on the platform will include main and auxiliary drilling modules, operational and energy complexes and living quarters for 120 people, Gazprom noted.

The field is situated in an environment characterized by temperatures of up to -60 degrees Celsius, heavy storms, shallow depths and thick and dense freshwater ice, according to Gazprom. The full scope of modeling and design for the ice resistant platform (ICP) was performed by Russia's leading shipbuilding research institutions, Gazprom outlined.

“The construction process will involve a number of cutting-edge technical solutions to ensure a high level of industrial and environmental safety, as well as operational integrity of the facility,” Gazprom said in a statement posted on its website.

“For instance, to protect the ICP from thick ice, the support structure will be V-shaped and nearly all of the facility's equipment will be encased in the hull and thus protected from cold and wind,” Gazprom added.

“Particular attention in the project is paid to solutions aiming to prevent adverse impacts on the Arctic flora and fauna. This includes a zero-discharge system. All household and production waste will be removed from the platform and disposed of later,” Gazprom continued.

Gazprom expects to tow the ICP to the Kamennomysskoye-Sea field in the summer navigation period of 2024. After this, flare booms and a helicopter pad will be set up at the facility. Construction operations will involve about 7,000 Russian workers and specialists, according to Gazprom.

Gazprom is a global energy company based in Moscow. The business holds the world’s largest natural gas reserves and is among the top four oil producers in the Russian Federation, according to its website.

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