Rough ways to the shelf
Design institutions of Russia have developed quite a lot of projects of offshore vessels, platforms and marine equipment. However, implementation of those projects is to face numerous challenges.
Made outside Russia
Most of large shipbuilding companies of Russia are highly loaded today, primarily due to state defence orders. However, defence procurement is not unlimited and it will gradually decrease. Then, the bulk of backlog will be formed by orders under the programmes on the development of offshore fields. This means hundreds of support ships, drilling rigs, floating storage and facilities, gas liquefaction plants etc. Many of them should be developed from scratch, and amid the international sanctions. Total demand of Russian customers in vessels and marine facilities by 2030 is estimated at more than 1,000 units.
Since the priority is put on the support of domestic shipbuilding this fleet should be built mostly by Russian shipyards. Yet, domestic shipbuilding is facing a number of severe challenges which should be handled to ensure sufficient profitability of offshore projects and compliance with their implementation schedules.
As Aleksandr Tarkhov, Deputy Director General for Fleet and Capital Construction at Gazprom Flot, said at Offshore Marintec Russia, International Offshore and Maritime Exhibition & Conference, construction time at Russian shipyards is anything but satisfactory. They also lack qualified managers and face some difficulties with workers training system. There is no serial production of components and equipment – they are mostly manufactured in single copies, hence very high prices. Besides, shipyards involved in defence procurement put priority on state defence orders with civilian orders treated under 'left-over principle'. Insufficient infrastructure is also a challenge - there are no facilities in the North-West federal district to repair Arctic class platforms.
The problem of facilities able to build large capacity vessels should be generally solved by Zvezda Shipyard being established at the premises of the Far Eastern Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Center (FESRC) by the Consortium of Rosneftegaz, Rosneft and Gazprombank. However, not everybody is satisfied with the work of FESRC. Aleksandr Tarkhov says Gazprom Flot has had a negative experience of cooperation with it under the project on construction of supply ship named Ivan Sidorenko. In his opinion, FESRC should improve its work on arranging the placement of orders and control of their implementation. It should be noted that Gazprom Flot had to cooperate with FESRC according to governmental decision. Therefore, the company representative is against the practice of such administrative pressure on customers.
The United Shipbuilding Corporation, in its turn, announced a number of modernization programmes and projects intended to improve the competitiveness of USC companies. The programmes are focused on reaching synergies and optimal cooperation between different shipyards of the Corporation as well as on training and involvement of skilled personnel. There are programmes on creation of a single information space and a single measuring space as well as projects on arc augmented laser welding and simulation modeling.
USC is also implementing projects in the sphere of personnel training which included establishment of profile classes at schools, retraining, involvement of students in designing of vessels.
From designs to facilities
Construction of new ships and facilities, especially those intended for operation in extreme climate, require smart designing. It should be noted that Russia has the required experimental facilities and competence. Krylov State Research Center is a distinguished platform with unique experimental facilities. KSRC has performed unique research and model tests of icebreakers in respect of their draught in shallow waters, optimal shape of a bow for rolling minimization, shape of screws, etc. As of today, the specialists of KSRC are busy with designing of new, more powerful icebreakers (Leader-class icebreakers) and a shallow-draft icebreaker. Read more in an earlier published interview with Mikhail Zagorodnnikov, Executive Director of Krylov State Research Center >>>>
It is very important that KSRC has possibilities to create physical models of marine facilities which allows for considerable reduction of construction risks and capital expenses.
Among the offshore-focused projects of Krylov State Research Center is the conceptual design of a floating platform for gas liquefaction at the Shtokman field and a multi-purpose platform for lifting of objects from sea bottom, laying of underwater utility lines, etc.
In general, RF Ministry of Energy says the year of 2017 is to see the launching of 20 offshore-focused R&D projects estimated at RUB 3 bln. 6 R&D projects worth RUB 1.3 bln are to be completed in 2016. The projects are focused on import substitution in the field of equipment and facilities for the development of offshore fields.
The Ministry forecasts that offshore oil production in Russia will grow by 11.5% to 21.3 mln t in 2016, gas production – by 6.6% to RUB 33.9 bln cbm. Oil produced at offshore fields of Russia accounts for 3.6% of total oil production in the country, gas - 5%.
Vitaly Chernov
