European helicopters for Shtokman
Gazprom’s daughter company Gazpromavia is discussing purchase of helicopters from the European company Eurocopter to use on the Shtokman gas field.
Gazpromavia is negotiation purchase of five EC225 Superpuma helicopters, web page Ua-tenders.com writes.
If the contract is signed, this will be Gazpromavia’s largest purchase of helicopters ever. In order to win the tender on delivery of helicopters, Eurocopter has developed a modified version of the helicopter with a fuel tank capacity of 800 liters. With that amount of fuel, the helicopters will be able to make the trip from Murmansk to the Shtokman field and back without refueling.
The Eurocopter group was established in 192 from a merger between the helicopter divisions of Aerospatiale-matra from France and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace from Germany, the company’s web site reads. The group is now a subsidiary owned 100 percent by EADS (European Aeronautic, Defense and Space Company), one of the three largest aerospace groups in the world.