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Rosneft makes Murmansk its Arctic hub

The Roslyakovo yard will become a centerpiece in the construction of vessels for Rosneft's Arctic projects.

The oil company intends to turn a local shipyard outside Murmansk into its center for Arctic shipbuilding.

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Russian Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin now confirms that Roslyakovo, the shipyard outside towntown Murmansk, will become a centerpiece in Rosneft’s Arctic shipbuilding efforts. In a message posted on Twitter, Rogozin says that Roslyakovo “already in the next few years” will become the Arctic shipbuilding center for the oil company. “This means new jobs and revenues”, the government representative adds.

Rogozin on Friday met with a number of governors from regions of key military importance, Itar-Tass reports. Most likely, also Murmansk Oblast was represented in the meeting. As previously reported, Murmansk Governor Marina Kovtun has established a close relationship with Rosneft and the two parts are currently cooperating actively also within the frames of the Murmansk Transport Hub.

The announcement from Rogozin comes after Igor Sechin and his Rosneft for some time has pushed for the takeover of the Roslyakovo yard, a shipbuilding facility which over the years has served first of all the Northern Fleet. According to the deputy premier, the deal reached with Roseneft states that the yard in the future is to build both military and civilian vessels.

As previously reported, Rosenft leader Igor Sechin in September last year got the Kremlin`s blessing for the acquisition of four yards, among them the Shipyard No 82 in Roslyakovo.The motivation for the engagement in shipbuilding is the company`s major ambitions in Arctic waters. Over the last years, Rosneft has acquired a significant number of offshore licenses and signed comprehensive Arctic cooperation agreements with foreign companies like ExxonMobil, Eni and Statoil.

Talking with Vladimir Putin at a meeting about shipbuilding developments, Rosneft leader Igor Sechin in fall 2013 requested the President to issue a decree, which brings the Murmansk yard into the fold of the oil company. Analysts believe Rosneft will modernize the yard to make it able to build large-capacity vessels.