MOSCOW. May 11 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Navy is ready to assist the national industry in developing the Arctic continental shelf, including in the sphere of safety, Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Kuroyedov told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
"Russia's developing the continental shelf envisions a great number of tasks to be discharged by specific ministries and departments. The Navy is ready to undertake the responsibility for providing safety, conducting deep-sea operations, including salvage, diving, deep-water, and welding operations in the interests of the national industry," Kuroyedov said.
In addition to that, establishing gas mains, pipelines, or oil pipelines at the bottom of the sea, requires meticulous research of the seabed. "The Navy is ready to provide the industry with the navigation and survey support," he said. The Navy has the 40th Deep-Sea Survey Institute, while the Navy Staff has the Navigation and Oceanography Directorate.
At the same time, Kuroyedov emphasized the importance of coordinated work of various ministries and departments. "Each participant should be held responsible for his own sphere of work," he said.
Kuroyedov referred to the contract with gas giant Gazprom on establishing pipelines and conducting construction at sea as a successful example of cooperation. "We understand each other. The Navy is short of money to monitor the environment. As a result, the Navy undertakes a commitment to discharge this task on its own, while Gazprom provides economic assistance," Kuroyedov said.
The LUKOIL Company, which produces raw materials in the Caspian Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Barents Sea, operates in the same way. The Navy provides security, including counter-terrorism security, on mutually beneficial conditions.
"Russia's developing the continental shelf means joining efforts. Contemporary challenges analysis is a must: what structures, forces, and assets are needed, and who will be responsible for them. Then we will have a comprehensive scientific approach, while at the moment we had a chairborne approach to the problem," Kuroyedov underlined.