Russia completes its stage of modernisation of orlan offshore platform

Russia's Amur shipyard in the Far East has completed its part of modernisation of the Orlan offshore oil platform intended for use on the Sakhalin shelf (Sakhalin is a Russian island in the Pacific. Its shelf is rich in oil and gas), RIA Novosti was told on Wednesday at the Khabarovsk government press-service.

The contract costing more than 140 million dollars was signed on May 23, 2002 between the Amur shipyard (which is Russia's biggest in the Far East and a member of the medium- and small shipbuilding concern (KSMK), and Exxon Neftegas Ltd, the Sakhalin-1 operator, with the participation of Hyundai Corporation (South Korea), Natchik of the US, and other overseas companies.

The Orlan offshore ice-resistant producing platform is one of the biggest in the world. It weighs more than 70,000 tons and measures 110 by 110 metres.

At present the platform is being towed to the Republic of Korea for the next stage of refurbishment. The platform will be handed over to the South Korea company HHJ for it to begin its part of the job.

On September 30, 2005 the platform must be sited in Chaivo Bay of the Sakhalin region.