Norwegians interested in Russian military dock yards to build there their civil vessels

Euro-Arctic oil and industry seminar which recently took place in the city of Arkhangelsk has shown the hidden before interest of business circles of Northern Europe in civil product of the most secret military dock yards of Russia. Scandinavians’ interest in unique possibilities of the city of Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk Region) is obviously connected with gas… The Norwegian parliament already passed a permission for working shelf Byelosnezhsk gas deposit situated not far from the city of Hammerfirst. The nearest dock yard of whose product’s quality Norwegians are sure is Severodvinsk Northern Machine-Building Work. Actually, the wrecked Kursk submarine was also built in Severodvinsk, as well as the two big pontoons which were used in lifting the submarine. To further the new project, Norwegians need barges with carrying capacity of 20 tons and pumps established aboard, to pump gas, pipe lines and many other things. The project of gas working near to Hammerfirst is being promoted by Stat-Oil Norwegian company. The negotiations showed that the Severodvinsk work is able to perform the Norwegian order. The projects of the kind are known to the shipbuilders accustomed mostly to building of atom submarines. As a kind of pre-qualification examination, was Sakhalin-2 construction, gas liquify work, which the shipbuilders passed. According to Korabel specialized newspaper issued by the Severodvinsk work, Stat-Oil representatives will come to the work to determine prospects of the co-operation.

Actually, Severodvinsk citizen have what to be proud of besides atom submarines. For example, Prirazlomnaya sea station platform which is being built now by the Severodvinsk work in co-operation with Brown & Route British company. Rosshelf Russian company plans the platform will soon pump gas from the shelf deposite Prirazlomnoye. Rosneft Russian oil company is the main investor of the platform’s building. Metal for the project was bought mainly for its money.

Northern Machine-Building Work’s possibilities became a real surprise for most of the seminar’s participants. Russian governmental circles are sure of this work being too badly advertized abroad, which was too secret in Soviet times. Earlier, when the Defence Ministry was the rich customer of the work, it had no necessity to search for some other customers. Only now, the work tries to rebuild its commercial thinking.

Recently, Dutch firm Damen and representatives of Algerian harbour authorities visited Severodvinsk. The Dutchmen ordered in the Severodvinsk workd building of seven towboats for the Algerians. Five of them will be handed over to the customer already this year. Apropos, Norwegians ordered in the Severodvinsk work building of two fish-farming works. Or course, this is not a submarine, though in today’s circumstances this is a good order. While the circumstances are so: the state owes to the work 500 million rubles (16 million dollars) for the Gepard atom submarine.

Vitaly Bratkov Specially for PRAVDA.Ru Arkhangelsk

Transalted by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/06/11/42500.html