Andrey Chibis, Governor of the Murmansk Region, took part in a video conference at a meeting of the Council for the Development and Support of Maritime Activities of the Maritime Collegium of the Russian Federation, which was held in Naryan-Mar under the leadership of Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Maritime Collegium.
The topic of discussion was the development of the mineral resource base of the continental shelf, the development of the country's technological sovereignty and the implementation of strategic projects in the Arctic zone.
In his opening remarks, Nikolai Patrushev stressed that the development of offshore fields is a strategic task to meet the needs of the national economy. The main potential is concentrated in the Arctic.
Attention was also paid to import substitution issues. Under the conditions of sanctions restrictions, Russia is switching to its own production of equipment for deep-sea drilling and work in ice.
For the Murmansk Region, the issue of offshore development is inextricably linked to gasification. It should be recalled that by the decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the region is included in the program for the development of the main gas infrastructure. The key project is the construction of the Volkhov — Murmansk - Belokamenka gas pipeline with a capacity of 41.2 billion cubic meters of gas.
Nikolai Patrushev drew attention to the need to increase the volume of exploration work, noting the critical condition of the fleet — the average age of research vessels exceeds 30 years.
Governor Andrey Chibis proposed to adjust the approaches to taxation to stimulate Arctic projects.
"The draft decisions contain a proposal on annual taxation in the Baltic Sea. Taking into account the reports that have been submitted, I would ask you to adjust the draft decision and consider approaches to taxation, including tax benefits for your projects in the Arctic zone," the governor said.
In addition, issues related to the formation of the Transarctic Transport Corridor, the construction of oil loading vessels and gas carriers, as well as the creation of coastal supply bases and repair docks were discussed.
"The development of the shelf and offshore fields is not only a federal task, but also the basis for creating new jobs and a cargo base for our port. This is an important part of our comprehensive project for the development of the Arctic and the TTC. With the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin, large-scale projects are being implemented to transform the Murmansk Port into a leading multimodal transport hub. Participation in the Council allows us to synchronize the plans of the region with the strategic priorities of the country," commented Andrey Chibis.
Also, one of the priorities is to ensure environmental safety, first of all, to increase the readiness of emergency rescue forces and facilities to eliminate oil spills in ice conditions.
/Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region/