Russian market demand for offshore platforms estimated at 30-35 units worth $15-2- billion through 2015

Manufacturing of offshore exploration and production platforms and ice-class liquefied gas carriers will be a priority of the Russian shipbuilding industry for a period through 2016, industry and energy minister Viktor Khristenko said to journalists Thursday. “Sophisticated high technology offshore equipment tailored primarily to meet domestic market requirements regarding development of complex offshore fields in severe ice environment is the niche that we should fill”, Khristenko said after a government meeting that approved the federal target program of commercial shipbuilding industry development for 2009-2016. According to him, the domestic market demand for offshore exploration and production platforms thought 2015 will reach 30-35 platforms worth $15-20 billion. “This is a lot, if you see how sophisticated and unique this equipment is. The complexity of the equipment is immense, and it is in scarce supply throughout the world”, the minister said adding that the backlog of orders for these platforms in the international market extends through 2012.