Berkut: this is the name of the largest oil platform in the world
Since its debut in early summer 2014, the Berkut oil platform has been a model of oil industry achievement. It measures 105 meters in length, 60 meters in width and its height exceeds 144 meters if the submerged part is included.
The mass of its upper section alone is more than 42,000 tons, contributing to the structure’s total weight exceeding 200,000 tons. Originally launched by Rosneft, ExxonMobil, SODECO and ONGC Videsh to exploit the fossil resources of the Arkutum-Dagi field, the Berkut oil platform stands like a colossus in the seas. Watch this video to see what the world’s largest oil platform looks like inside and out.
The platform can withstand waves of up to 18 meters. Source: Science for everyone
Operation in extreme conditions
When commissioned, the rig was notable for incorporating the most powerful top drive drilling device in the world. Thanks to this power, the machine had a lifting capacity of 1,150 tonnes and officials anticipated that the Arkutun-Dagi field would contribute up to 4.5 million tonnes of oil per year to the Sakhalin-1 consortium.
Intended to enable Berkut to operate in the most extreme conditions, including freezing temperatures, violent waves and earthquakes, the platform was launched with an innovative system capable of withstanding magnitude 9 earthquakes without affecting its efficiency and operating at -25ºC or facing 18-meter waves, almost comparable to a tsunami. In addition, it can withstand the pressure of ice sheets up to two meters thick.
The scale of Berkut is reflected not only in its specifications, but also in the exceptional logistics deployed by its developers in 2014 to assemble the platform, a manoeuvre that set several world records. The upper section, weighing 42,000 tons, had to travel an extraordinary distance of 2,600 kilometers from the Korean shipyard of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, where it was assembled, to its final location in the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk, some 25 kilometers from the island of Sakhalin, in Russian territory.
Pre-launch agreements
One striking aspect is that its implementation required an agreement between the Russian government, the regional authorities of Sakhalin and an international consortium made up of Rosneft (20%), ONGC Videsh of India (20%), SODECO of Japan (30%) and ExxonMobil of the United States, which participated with 30% through its subsidiary Exxon Neftegas.
Marking the 25th anniversary of the Sakhalin-1 deal in 2020, Rosneft estimated that cumulative oil and condensate production exceeded 125 million tonnes and 28 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas had been supplied to the Far East. Berkut was possibly conceived to imperturbably withstand the onslaught of giant waves, earthquakes and low subarctic temperatures while operating in the Pacific.
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Source and main photo: xataka
Internal photo: offshore-technology