(photo: A. Savin)

In the 30-year prospect, Russian Navy will receive modular ships capable to transform from one type to another within short period of time, Russian vice premier Dmitry Rogozin told The National Defense magazine.

Rogozin explained that “such modules will be easily transformed and adapted for certain combat tasks, if needed“.

From the viewpoint of Russian Navy development, one should turn attention to Arctic and “Russia’s northern and northwestern water zone in general“, added the vice premier.

According to him, if NATO deploys missile defense systems in Arctic region, Russia should disbelieve diplomatic security guarantees.

Rogozin stressed that “our main security blanket is military and technical capability to prevent any political and diplomatic surprise“, reports RIA Novosti.

(Reuters) – Russian President-elect Vladimir Putin on Thursday outlined new rules for the development of vast offshore oil and gas resources, offering some much-needed tax breaks to make far-flung projects viable.

The new proposals, such as abolishing export duty, appeared aimed at appeasing foreign participants in the giant Shtokman gas project as well as the Arctic partnership of ExxonMobil and Rosneft.

“The move should give a positive momentum for such projects as Shtokman,” Valery Nesterov from Troika Dialog brokerage said.

Russia is the world’s top crude producer and plans to produce at least 10 million barrels of oil per day until 2020. It needs to sustain overall output, which is declining at its traditional and depleted West Siberian fields, by tapping new deposits in the Arctic and East Siberia.

At a meeting attended by the heads of state-owned Rosneft and Gazprom as well as some cabinet members, Putin also pledged that the proposed rules should not be changed for at least 15 years from the start of output at industrial scale.

“Our long-term goal is to secure Russia’s leadership on the global energy markets,” Putin said.

He also offered to introduce a lower mineral extraction tax for complex hydrocarbon projects in the Arctic.

According to Putin, the projects offshore, where Russian hydrocarbon reserves are estimated at 100 billion tonnes of oil equivalent, may attract as much as $500 billion (313 billion pounds) in investment during a 30-year span.

Shtokman gas project participants – Gazprom, Total and Statoil – have long been lobbying for tax breaks, including zero export duty, and have postponed final investment decision several times due to uncertainties over the tax environment in Russia.

Last week, Gazprom’s top official said Shtokman may ditch plans to pipe Arctic gas and focus only on producing liquefied natural gas.

“The challenge now is to make the project commercially viable. That has several parts to it, including to reduce investment costs and to have a fiscal framework in place to enable complex offshore projects like these,” said Statoil spokesman Baard Glad Pedersen.

“In this regard, this is a positive signal from Russian authorities,” he added.

NON-STATE COMPANIES PUSH

Analysts and some experts have said that to maintain current record-high level of oil output, Russia has to allow non-state companies to tap the offshore deposits. At present, the law limits involvement in the Arctic offshore development to Gazprom and Rosneft.

Earlier on Thursday, a spokesman for Russia’s No.2 crude producer, LUKOIL, said it, Surgutneftegaz, TNK-BP and Bashneft signed a petition to Putin, asking him for the offshore access.

The prime minister, who returns to the presidency in May for the next six years after winning last month’s poll, signalled that he may approve the request.

“I have already asked the government members to think how – more efficiently – invite and use the possibilities of Russian companies,” he told the meeting.

Analysts welcomed the move.

“If we are going to ramp up oil and gas production quickly … other companies should be allowed to bid for offshore tenders. LUKOIL has always complained that it fails to obtain an access to a big field in Russia,” said Andrey Polishchuk, analyst with Raiffeisenbank.

MOSCOW (MarketWatch) — Russia’s largest oil producer state-controlled OAO Rosneft and Italy’s Eni SpA Wednesday signed a cooperation deal to jointly develop Russian offshore energy deposits in the Barents Sea and the Black Sea.

The deal also stipulates that Rosneft will get access to Eni’s international projects in North Africa, and later in other parts of the world.

The agreement, signed by Rosneft President Eduard Khudainatov and Eni Chief Executive Paolo Scaroni, envisages establishing a joint venture to explore the Fedynsky and Central Barents fields in the Barents Sea and the Western Chernomorsky field in the Black Sea. Eni will hold 33.33% stake in the project to develop the fields, which combined have total recoverable reserves of 36 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

Eni is expected to invest $2 billion in exploration of the fields, whose development would cost the companies more than $100 billion, Rosneft said.

“We plan to work with Russia for many years. This was the last brick in the road to becoming Russia’s top partner for energy,” Scaroni said.

“The agreement signed today proves the capability of Rosneft to work with the biggest world class companies, with a rich experience of working on the shelf, advanced technologies and readiness to invest in high technology, long term projects in Russia,” said Khudainatov. “I am confident that our partnership will lead to growth of our resource base and the capitalization of both companies.”

Russia’s President-Elect Vladimir Putin, who was present at the signing, said the government “will do everything possible to support such projects.”

By teaming with Rosneft, Eni follows Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), which April 16 finalized a deal with the Russian oil giant. Under that deal, Rosneft will get a 30% stake in projects in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, in West Texas and in Canada, and Exxon will get access to Russia’s offshore deposits both in the Arctic and the Black Sea.

Okskaya Shipyard to test two RSD44 Project bulkers
Okskaya Shipyard plans to send on April 24 M/V Kapitan Shumilov and M/V Kapitan Kanatov to Chekalovsk (Nizhny Novgorod region). The ninth and tenth dry cargo ships of a series of 10 self-propelled river vessels of RSD-44 Project will undergo sea trials, the shipbuilding company said.  - more >>>

Moscow Shipyard launches MPB14 project boat for Rosmorport
Moscow Shipyard on April 20, launched the first boat of a series of six Multi Purpose Boats (project MPB14) ordered by Rosmorport for its Azov-Black Sea branch, the customer’s press office said. The six vessel contract is valued at RUB 170,9 m. The first craft was laid on Oct 5, 2011 and is to be completed this June. – more >>>

Krasnoye Sormovo launches 6900DWT product carrier of RST27 project for VF Tanker
Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard held an official launching ceremony for the 6900DWT VF Tanker-2 of project RST27, ordered by V.F. Tanker LLC, UCL Holding said. The VF Tanker-2 is the third vessel in a portfolio of 20 river, sea-going product carriers booked by VBTH in line with a major fleet renewal program run by VBTH, a majority-owned group of companies by Universal Cargo Logistics Holding. – more >>>  

New 5039 DWT Vessel Nephrite Enters VBTH’s Fleet
On April 10th 2012 the 5039 DWT MV Nephrite entered Volga-Balt Transportation Holding’s (VBTH) fleet and begun its active service. The Nephrite is the sixth vessel in a series of ten Project DCV36 vessels ordered by VBTH from China’s Qingdao Hyundai Shipbuilding Co. – more >>>

OMS Shipping accepts delivery of three multipurpose tugs of Project TG-05
Aktau-based OMS Shipping has taken delivery of three shallow-draft multipurpose Anchor Handling Tug Supply Salvage Service vessels (AHTS) of Project TG05 for the North Caspian Sea. The three tugboats named “Phoenix”, “Orion” and “Hercules” were built at Nanjing East Star shipyard, the project designer Marine Engineering Bureau said. – more >>>

Baltic Shipyard to launch 3rd serial tanker of Project 2734 for BFC
St. Petersburg-based shipyard Baltiysky Zavod will hold a launching and naming ceremony on April 27 for the third vessel of a series of four non-self propelled oil tankers of Project 2734, ordered by Baltic Fuel Company (BFC). The vessel will be christened “Mira,” the Group said on Monday. – more >>>

Severnaya Verf Shipyard to Splash Corvette Stoiky in May
Corvette Stoiky will leave covered slipway of Severnaya Verf shipyard early in May. Afterwards, the ship will be docked for assembling of bulb fairwater. Launching of Stoiky is scheduled on May 21.Through the next half year, the corvette will be completed afloat; mooring trials will start in Jan 2013, and then the shipyard’s sea and state trials will be held. – more >>>

Nobel Brothers Shipyard bags order for two oil tanker barges
15 March, the Lena United River Shipping Company (LORP) signed an agreement with OOO “Verf Bratyev Nobel” for the construction of two non-self propelled oil tanker barges of 4300t. DWT. The new barges will be built under RMRS classification. At this stage no more information about the deal was released. Nobel Brothers Shipyard website

Tolyatti Shipyard seal deal for 30 meter motor yacht
OOO “Tolyatinskaya Sudoverf” (Tolyatti Shipyard) has signed a contract with OOO “Irida” for the construction of a motor yacht under the working name “Volzskaya Zhemchuzhina” (Volga Pearl). At the present, the slipway has been prepared and construction has started.
Ship dimensions: LWL: 30 meters,  Beam: 6 meters, Draft: 1,5 meters. The vessel will be equiped with two Volvo Penta 500 hp engines.
Shipyard website: http://www.tsv-tlt.ru/ (Russian)

Russian Caspian Flotilla to get new ships
Within the next eight years Russia’s Caspian Flotilla will receive 16 new vessels, the navy said. Later this year the Caspian Flotilla is to receive two new ships — the Project 11661k Missile Ship Dagestan and the Project 21630 Volgodonsk small artillery ship. – more >>>

Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard to Build Oil Tanker for Turkmen Sea and River Lines
Turkmen Sea and River Lines company has contracted Russian Nizhny Novgorod-based Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard with the newbuild deal for one oil tanker of project 19900. This is the fourth tanker under this project ordered by State Service of Maritime and River Transport of Turkmenistan. The first vessel named Sumbar was delivered in August 2009, the second Khazar in October 2009 and the third Jeyhun in October 2010. – more >>> 

Russia Lays down New Warship at Baltic Shipyard
Construction of a Project 11356 frigate was launched at the Yantar shipyard in Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad on Wednesday. The Krivak IV class Admiral Makarov frigate is the last in a series of three frigates the shipyard is building under a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry. – more >>>

The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) has opened a design and newbuilding support centre at Busan in South Korea.

The centre has been established in line with the RS strategic global expansion plans, RS said and will facilitate further development of the class society’s service offering in the area.

Its first project will be the supervision of the construction of two LNGCs for Sovcomflot to be built at STX Offshore & Shipbuilding. Other projects are in the pipeline, RS said.

Mr Grigoriev of Gazprom Global LNG said, “Gazprom’s and other Russian companies’ need for cost-effective and environmentally-friendly tanker fleet for trade and export operations and the need for offshore units and vessels for the exploitation and production of natural resources on the Russian shelf, call for a new approach based on innovation, best scientific achievements and best practices of the world’s shipbuilding sector.

“RS maintains close contacts with almost all the maritime industry stakeholders, both Russian and foreign, including shipyards, shipowners, research institutes and international organisations. Thanks to its unique practical experience and position, RS can and should become a ‘bridge’, co-ordinating Russian and foreign partners’ joint efforts for innovation in shipbuilding.”

In addition, RS has recently opened an office in Panama.

Yuri Nikitin

Top shipbroker Clarksons is to pocket a further $7m in a final settlement of a legal dispute with Russian shipowner and businessman, Yuri Nikitin.

The deal means Nikitin has paid Clarksons a total of about $13m to end claims arising out of the huge Sovcomflot and Novoship corruption cases that were the subject of a marathon high court trial in London that started in 2009 and ran into 2010.

London stock exchange listed Clarksons said the settlement with Nikitin and his companies resolved all outstanding matters between them. But the settlement also appears to be the final chapter of perhaps the biggest legal battle the shipping industry has seen.

The details of the settlement which will be treated as an exceptional item in Clarksons’ accounts for the current year are to remain confidential.

The judge in the key corruption trial, Justice Andrew Smith rejected a claim of almost $21m brought against Clarksons by Nikitin with the Russian businessman subsequently denied leave to appeal this judgment.

Although Clarksons appears to have come out financially ahead in the dispute with Nikitin providing any unrecovered costs are not too high the Russian corruption row has proved costly for the shipbroker.

Before the main Sovcomflot-Novoship corruption trial against Dmitry Skarga and Nikitin trials the shipbroker paid out more than $50m to buy its way out of the litigation.

The Nikitin settlement comes on a day when Clarksons reported an improved better than expected profit for 2011.

MOSCOW (Dow Jones)–Russian independent natural gas producer OAO Novatek (NVTK.RS) shipped nine cargos or more than 600,000 metric tons of stable gas condensate via the Northern Sea Route to China and other Asia Pacific markets in 2011, the company said Wednesday.

STI Heritage is a 73,956 dwt ice class 1A Panamax tanker. In 2011, she transited the North Sea Route with a cargo of 61,000 tons of stable gas concentrate produced by Novatek's Purovsky Gas Condensate Processing Plant in the Russian arctic.

In September 2010, Novatek sent its first icebreaker with stable gas condensate via Russia’s Arctic waters to the Chinese port of Ningbo. The company has signed a deal with Russia’s state nuclear icebreaker fleet, Atomflot, to secure stable supplies through the Northern Sea Route from the Yamal LNG project–a joint project with France’s Total SA (TOT).

“The use of the Northern Sea Route for hydrocarbon transportation is an integral part of our logistical strategy to develop prospective fields in the Yamal peninsula,” Novatek said in its full year financial results published Wednesday.

A joint venture between a Russian shipyard and a major European marine manufacturer hopes to take advantage of the development of shipping in the Arctic region during the next few years, as Eugene Gerden reports.

Russia’s state-run United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) bought 79.33 percent of the Vyborg shipbuilding plant in country’s north-west for 1.8 billion rubles ($61.8 million) having consolidated almost all large vessel production assets in Russia, Kommersant business daily newspaper reported on Monday.

The deal will allow USC to produce sea ice-breakers at the newly-purchased plant, using about 100 hectares of land on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. USC expects to get orders from Russia’s large energy companies, such as the country’s gas giant Gazprom, to keep the plant running at full capacity.

USC also signed eight billion ruble ($274.6 million) contracts with the shipyard to make two diesel-powered sea ice-breakers with 16 MW capacities each by 2015, the paper said.