On October 6–9, In St. Petersburg and with the coordinating role of the Ministry of Energy of Russia and the Russian Academy of Sciences, an international exhibition and conference on shipbuilding and designing of high-tech equipment for the Arctic and continental shelf development “OMR 2020” was held in accordance with the Order of the Government of the Russian Federation. Leading Russian companies involved in the development of the continental shelf and the implementation of large oil and gas projects, representatives of the government and science gathered at the same platform to discuss the most important aspects of the Arctic development.
PLENARY SESSION
Opening the plenary session, Alexander Kontorovich, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on Geology and Development of Oil and Gas Fields, read out the greetings from Yurii Borisov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, and Aleksandr Novak, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation. In their messages to the participants of the event, they expressed confidence that this project, which is unique for the Russian exhibition market, will contribute to the development of the potential of the Russian and global shipbuilding industry, will make it possible to make new high-quality decisions on the further Arctic and continental shelf development.
The plenary session was devoted to the discussion of strategic goals and priorities for the Arctic sustainable development. The discussion was attended by: Vice President of Rosgeologia JSC  Sergei Khrushchev, Assistant to the President of the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute” Alexander Frolov, Deputy Head of Directorate of Gazprom PJSC Marat Nuriev, Head of the Department of Import Substitution and Implementation of the Technical Strategy of Gazprom Neft Shelf LLC Alexey Vlasov, Advisor to the General Director of JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation Anatoliy Aleksashin, President of the Union “St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry” Yurii Burchakov.
In their speeches, the speakers highlighted the principles of increasing the efficiency of economic activity in the Russian Arctic, as well as the prospects for improving the domestic scientific and technical base and creating breakthrough technologies for the safe and careful development of the region’s natural resources. The discussion aroused much interest among experts and denoted a number of key issues that were raised at the conference during the following days of work.
CONFERENCE
A rich business program was prepared for “OMR 2020” participants and guests. On the conference, several discussion platforms of various thematic focus were simultaneously working, which allowed delegates to discuss topical issues of the current stage of the Arctic development.
The business program of the Forum “OMR 2020” was designed for 3 days and included 6 business sessions, “Youth Session”, poster presentations and technical seminars with visits to industry enterprises in St. Petersburg.
During the Forum 72 reports on topical industry issues creation of a modern fleet for the Arctic development, oil and gas projects on the shelf of the world ocean, infrastructure for the development of the Northern Sea Transport Corridor, underwater and under-ice technologies and technical means for mining in the conditions of freezing seas, the Arctic energy infrastructure, as well as prospects for the development of hydrocarbon resources on land and the Arctic shelf. Presentations were made by representatives of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, Gazprom PJSC, Gazprom Neft Shelf LLC, JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation, the Far East Agency for Attracting Investments and Export Support, Gazprom Flot LLC, JSC PO Sevmash, FSBE “Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute” (AARI), Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, RusGazShelf LLC, JSC “Center for Technology and Shipbuilding and Ship Repair”, Power Machines JSC, ABB, Tranzas-Novigator LLC, Central Design Bureau of Marine Engineering "Rubin”, Central Design Bureau “Korall”, Central Design Bureau “Lazurit”, Titan-Barrikady JSC, Central Design Bureau “Monolit”, PJSC" Central Design Bureau “Iceberg”, Concern “Scientific and Production Association” Aurora”, Northern Production Association “Arktika”, etc.
The following was held within the framework of the conference program "OMR 2020” for the first time: business session “Cable business” (organizer: Mediaholding “RusCable”) and special session dedicated to medical support of workers at offshore facilities (platforms, ships), organized with the participation of the Medical Service of the Main Command of the Russian Navy, FBSU “Morspasluzhba”, the International Association of Maritime Health, Northern Medical Clinical Center named after N.A. Semashko, All-Russian Center for Emergency and Radiation Medicine named after A. M. Nikiforova. Considering the relevance and importance of the problem for the Arctic development, it was decided to hold in 2021, within the framework of the 15th International Exhibition and Conference on the Development of Oil and Gas Resources of the Russian Arctic and the Continental Shelf of the CIS Countries “RAO/CIS Offshore”, a round table “Arctic and Marine Medicine”.
Traditionally, the Forum hosted Youth Session (Organizers: Scientific and Educational Center of Gazprom VNIIGAZ LLC and RESTEC® Exhibition Company; Sponsors of the Youth Session: Gazprom Dobycha Shelf Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk LLC). Due to the difficult epidemiological situation, the work of the Youth Session was organized in hybrid format; despite this, the event turned out to be deep and interesting; students and young specialists of Gazprom Dobycha Shelf Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk LLC, the Russian State University of Oil and Gas (NRU) named after I. M. Gubkin, Moscow State Academy of the Water Transport - a branch of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “GUMRF named after Admiral S. O. Makarov”, FSBEI HI “St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University”, FSBEI HI Murmansk State Technical University, Gazprom Nedra LLC, GIPRONII PROPAN JSC, Gazprom Flot LLC and Gazpromneft-Prirazlomnoye LLC.
The business sessions were attended by experts from 232 companies from Russia, South Korea and Finland, as well as representatives of federal and local authorities.
EXHIBITION
On the first day of “OMR 2020”, the exhibition was visited by the Vice Governor of St. Petersburg Eduard Batanov, who highly appreciated the exhibits presented at the exhibitors’ stands.
More than 60 companies presented priority projects, new equipment and technologies for the development of hydrocarbon resources in the Arctic, special vessels, offshore structures, equipment and materials for the construction of offshore platforms and technological complexes for exploration and production of oil and gas on the shelf. Among the participants Zvezda Shipyard LLC, JSC PO Sevmash, JSC “Far Eastern Center for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair”, JSC “Dalzavod Ship Repair Center”, Oglaend System LLC, DPI Vostokproektverf LLC, VEZA LLC, VE ERA JSC, Cable Alliance Holding LLC, North-Eastern Repair Center JSC, Marine Branch of FSBE “Rosgeolfond”, Federal Research and Production Center “Central Research Institute of Automation and Hydraulics”, NKT CJSC, PP MTS Permsnabsbyt JSC, SSTenergomontazh LLC , Tekhnopol Company LLC, High-Vacuum Ventilation LLC, UMP JSC, etc., as well as three regional exhibitions.
St. Petersburg Committee for Arctic Affairs organized an exposition of St. Petersburg  – booth, which presented 14 enterprises and organizations of the city engaged in the development of the Arctic, including Baltiysky Zavod JSC, Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard JSC, JSC “Scientific-and-Production Enterprise for Underwater Technologies “OCEANOS”, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute” – Central Research Institute of Construction Materials “Prometheus”, Logistics Cluster of the North-West of Russia, etc. Presentation sessions on the potential of the city’s enterprises and current developments for the Arctic development and research were held for guests and participants of the Forum at the booth of St. Petersburg. In total, about 150 meetings were held, the participants of which agreed on business and economic cooperation.
Industry Development Center of the Leningrad region at the collective booth of the Leningrad Region presented expositions of four leading enterprises in the region: Leningrad Shipbuilding Plant “Pella” LLC, LLC HOVERKRAFT, a designer and manufacturer of hovercraft, Novoladozhskaya Shipbuilding Company LLC and PSK Ladoga LLC, engaged in equipping and repairing ships of any type.
Potential of Pomorie in the field of shipbuilding, engineering, production of marine equipment, hydraulic works, transport and logistics support was presented at the collective booth of the Arkhangelsk region. The delegates from the region include representatives of such companies as Northern Production Association “Arktika”, Belfreight CJSC, Pomor Shipping LLC, Nerey LLC, RC Engineering LLC, JSC Center for Ship Repair Zvezdochka. In the course of the work, representatives of the Arkhangelsk and Severodvinsk enterprises were able to share best practices with colleagues from other regions and talk on possibilities and potential of the Arkhangelsk region as one of the key participants in the Arctic projects. The participation of the Arkhangelsk delegation was organized by the Association of oil and gas suppliers Sozvezdye with the support of the Regional Development Agency of the Arkhangelsk region.
During the whole event at the booth of Zvezda Shipyard LLC introductory negotiations were held with manufacturers of ship materials and ship accessory equipment, organized by Lazurit Central Design Bureau – supplier of the Far Eastern Shipbuilding Cluster of PJSC NK Rosneft.
The exhibition attracted attention more than 7,500 experts related to shipbuilding, the development of Russian water areas and the development of the marine, transport and energy infrastructure of the continental shelf.
TECHNICAL WORKSHOPS
For the first time, within the framework of “OMR 2020” business program, field workshops were organized for industry enterprises of the city. Participants of the events could familiarize themselves with the possibilities of physical modeling in the ice basin of FSBE AARI, take part in a demonstration experiment, learn about the life cycle of an icebreaker (UAL project 22220 – from metal cutting to outfitting quay) at the production site of Baltic Plant JSC, visit an experimental base – an ice experimental pool, a landscape pipe, a training center, booths for static and resource tests of structures at the FSUE “Krylov State Research Center” (Technical Workshop at the FSUE “Krylov State Research Center” was held with the support of the St. Petersburg Committee for Arctic Affairs).
CONTEST RESULTS
Within the framework of “OMR 2020” awards ceremony for the winners of the International Competition for Scientific, Research and Technology, Technical and Innovative Developments, aimed at the development and reclamation of the Arctic and the continental shelf, which is organized by the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation.
At the 2020 competition, 64 works of 52 organizations were submitted, covering a wide range of scientific, technical and production tasks aimed at ensuring the development of hydrocarbon resources of the Arctic shelf. The expert interdepartmental commission awarded the title of laureate of the competition to twenty-one works, which were recognized as the most up to date and relevant to the competition subject.
“OMR 2020” is the only hybrid business platform in Russia, which is dedicated to the issues of ensuring offshore oil and gas production, shipping, navigation and communications in the northern waters, industrial and environmental safety in the Arctic.
Hosted by: The Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of the Russian Federation, PJSC “Gazprom”, RAS Research Council for Geology and the Development of Oil & Gas and Coal Resources, Gazprom VNIIGAZ LLC and RESTEC® Exhibition Company.
General sponsor: PJSC Gazprom.
Sponsor of the Youth Forum: Gazprom Dobycha Shelf Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk LLC.
Roundtable sponsor: MRTS JSC.
Partner: FSBE AARI