The new joint venture will undertake offshore operations in the Arctic. Credit: Gazprom Neft PJSC.

Russian gas producer Novatek and state-run oil producer Gazprom Neft have formed a joint venture to develop the North-Vrangelevskiy license area in the Arctic.

The JV forms part of an agreement signed by the firms at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2021.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

The transaction follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding at the 2019 SPIEF to jointly develop Arctic assets.

Novatek said that the new JV will undertake a full range of activities involved in oil and gas prospecting, exploration, and development.

Under the deal, Novatek owns a 49% stake in OOO Gazpromneft Sakhalin, which holds rights for geological prospecting, exploration and development within the North-Vrangelevskiy licence area.

According to Gazprom Neft and Novatek’s joint assessments, the block holds considerable resource potential and is highly promising.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The remaining 51% in Gazpromneft Sakhalin will be held by Gazprom Neft.

Novatek management board chairman Leonid Mikhelson said: “We are expanding our long term resource base to implement new projects in the Arctic Zone of Russia.”

On a parity basis, Novatek and Gazprom Neft plan to undertake exploration activity at the North-Vrangelevskiy license area located in the eastern part of the East Siberian Sea and the western part of the Chukchi Sea.

Gazprom Neft management board chairman Alexander Dyukov said: “The Russian Arctic Shelf has enormous, although yet not fully assessed, resource potential.

“But exploring and developing this demands major investment, which is why joint ventures are of the most effective models for offshore operations.”