Murmansk, Arkhangelsk to cooperate on Shtokman
Murmansk and Arkhangelsk will shortly sign an agreement on cooperation on the Shtokman development project. Both regions have high hopes for the huge gas field in the Barents Sea.
During the second Arctic International Forum in Murmansk the two regions discussed how they can work together to ensure maximum advantage when the development of the Shtokman field begins. In the near future Murmansk and Arkhangelsk will sign an agreement on cooperation and start putting it into life, the Arkhangelsk regional government writes on its web site.
The two regions have been competing in presenting the best alternative for supply bases and transport hubs for Shtokman, but have lately approached one another. In July Governor of Murmansk Oblast Dmitry Dmitriyenko said that there is no, and will not be any, competition between Murmansk and Arkhangelsk in issues regarding the development of the project, as BarentsObserver reported.
Both regions have their advantages when it comes to supporting the Shtokman project: while Murmansk Oblast is located closer to the field and will house most of the development facilities, Arkhangelsk has a well-developed shipbuilding industry as well as educational institutions.
