Russia launches icebreaker to boost Arctic oilfield

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Prime Minister Vladimir Putin launched an oil tanker on Friday capable of slicing through over a metre of ice, bringing Russia a step toward its decade-long ambition to launch its first offshore oilfield in the Arctic.

State-run Gazprom has delayed the launch of its Prirazlomnoye oilfield for nearly 10 years as it persists with domestic firms to equip the project, helping Russia develop the technical know-how to conquer other Arctic mineral riches.

The 260-metre-long ‘Kirill Lavrov’ was launched at the Admiralty Shipyards in St Petersburg, Putin’s home city.

“A year ago I saw anxious eyes of shipbuilders as they started work. It was a professional challenge,” Putin was quoted as saying on the government’s website, www.government.ru. Foreign reporters are not allowed to visit the shipyards.

“It is amazing that such a giant was built in such a short period of time,” Putin told shipbuilders.

Reuters