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Rosneft’s base for Arctic offshore drilling crucial for regional development project

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Government reveals how much money Gazprom and Rosneft pour into offshore exploration

MURMANSK, March 27. /TASS/. Construction of an onshore support zone for Arctic offshore projects by Russian oil major Rosneft will be an anchoring project within the development framework of the pilot Kola backbone zone, Minister of Economic Development of Murmansk Region Elena Tikhonova told TASS on Monday.

The project stipulates development of an industrial cluster of oilfield services and service maintenance of ships and vessels navigating in the Northern Sea Route water area, the minister said.

"Implementation of the Rosneft project will promote establishment of a new economic sector with a high multiplying development effect for related and supporting branches. This is one of key projects of the Kola backbone zone," Tikhonova said.

The principle of Arctic development with the use of backbone zones was made public last summer. Murmansk Region was indicated as the pilot region where the backbone Arctic zone will be established.

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