Shell and Sovcomflot sign shipping co-operation agreements
27 June, 2009
Including Arctic shipping for future Russian LNG projects
Novo-Ogarevo, today, Open Joint Stock Company ‘Sovcomflot’ and Shell International Trading & Shipping Company Limited (Shell) signed a General Cooperation Agreement. The official signing ceremony was held within the framework of the meeting of Russian Federation Prime Minister, Mr Vladimir Putin, with outgoing Chief Executive Royal Dutch Shell plc, Mr Jeroen van der Veer and his successor from 1st July, Mr Peter Voser.
The General Cooperation Agreement covers cooperation between the two companies in potential liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping projects in Russia, including on the Arctic offshore. The Agreement provides for broadening of cooperation in future Sakhalin II project development, development of joint shipping solutions for natural gas fields on Yamal Peninsula, further improvement of LNG shipping technologies, including in difficult ice conditions, and development of floating storage and regasification units for gasification in remote regions of Russia.
According to Sergey Frank, Sovcomflot CEO, “The signed agreement allows to combine Shell’s profound experience in the production and the transportation of liquefied natural gas with Sovcomflot’s knowledge and technical potential in delivering cargos by sea in harsh ice conditions of the Arctic and Far-Eastern seas. This long-term international project is aimed at working out highly effective and ecologically safe transportation and logistical solutions for Russia’s future oil and gas projects implemented in the offshore fields of the Arctic”.
Speaking at the event, Mr Kopernicki said, “Shell and Sovcomflot have for some time worked together on LNG seafarer training and through the development of the Sakhalin II project. The signing of these agreements builds on this and allows us to share our respective skills in LNG and Arctic shipping to support future Russian LNG projects.
Alongside General Cooperation Agreement, the companies signed time-charter agreements for Sovcomflot’s Aframax type oil tankers to ship Shell’s crude from North West Europe and the Mediterranean.
Shell Trading is the principal trading and shipping business within the Shell Group. It is a network of Shell companies that has a presence in every major energy market in the world. Every day, this network is responsible for the buying and selling of approximately 13 million barrels of oil equivalent.
• Principal activities are the trading and shipping of a global portfolio of crude oil, refined products, natural gas, electrical power and chemical feedstocks. Five years ago, Shell Trading also established an environmental products trading business that is now operational in 15 markets.
• Shell is a leader in LNG shipping – one of the most experienced and reliable players in the market.
• Shell transfers LNG shipping expertise to partners around the world, including those in Brunei, Nigeria, Qatar and Australia
• Shell’s expertise includes feasibility studies, benchmarking, port and terminal advice, technical consultancy, fleet operations and vessel procurement.
• Through our technical leadership we have been involved in the conceptual design, tender, detailed design, construction and/or reactivation of almost 60 LNG carriers.
• Our performance in LNG shipping is first class. We have been delivering LNG cargoes safely for over 45 years.
• The safety performance of our fleet is consistently in the industry’s top quartile.
• Our managed LNG carriers have been awarded Green Passports for environmental sustainability by Lloyd’s Register.
Sovkomflot Group is a major Russian infrastructural company with a fleet of 136 vessels with the aggregate deadweight of 9,6 million tonnes. The company's current shipbuilding programme includes 24 vessels with the aggregate deadweight of 2,1 million tonnes:
• Fleet average age - 6 years (with the global average of 12).
• Sovkomflot is ?1 in the world in the Aframaks segment, ? 2 in the segment of product tankers;
• Sovkomflot has the largest global ice class fleet and is ?1 operator in the segment of Arctic shuttle tankers and ice class LNG tankers
• Apart from shipping of hydrocarbons, Sovkomflot provides services for crude transhipment via floating storage units, and develops efficient logistical solutions for transportation of energy resources.
• Shell's share in Sovkomflot shipping portfolio makes up to 5% and gradually increasing with the development of oil and gas projects both in Russia and internationally.
Sakhalin II is one of the largest integrated projects in the world developing two oil and gas fields (Piltun-Astokhskoye and Lunskoye) offshore north-east Sakhalin for production and export of crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG). The Project includes first LNG plant in Russia. The Sakhalin II Project introduced the Russian Federation to a range of innovative technologies, from LNG production to offshore development of hydrocarbon fields. The project, which brought together Russian and International expertise to overcome the formidable challenges, provides a potential model for similar collaboration in unlocking much needed reserves in Arctic regions.
The oil tanker chartering deals cover the time charter of a Sovcomflot crude oil tanker for Shell International Trading & Shipping Company Limited and a Contract of Affreightment (COA) which is an arrangement by which Shell International Trading & Shipping Company Limited have access to a number of Sovcomflot’s fleet of modern double-hulled crude oil tankers operating to load and deliver crude oil cargoes in North West Europe.
Shell