Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel Mr Dharmendra Pradhan appreciated the way Sakhalin-1 project in Russia is being managed by ONGC, during his recent visit to Russia. ONGC’s 100 per cent subsidiary ONGC Videsh Limited has 20 per cent stake in Sakhalin-1 project, a joint project of India and Russia. This prolific oil-producing project was initiated during the time of former Prime Minister Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The Petroleum Minister said, “I am happy at the way this project has been setting records in the industry and has become the most successful investment decision of India till now. It happened due to vision of our former Prime Minister late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee for developing energy links with Russia”.

The Minister was accompanied by ONGC CMD Shri Shashi Shanker. Shri Shanker shared the technological advancements achieved in the project and emphasized on replicating some of the relevant technologies in ONGC domestic projects in India.

The Petroleum Minister was also accompanied by officials from the Ministry and Indian Embassy in Moscow, EIL CMD and senior management officials from Rosneft  (partner National Oil Company in the Sakhalin-1 project) and professionals from Exxon Neftegaz Limited (Operator of the project).

During his visit, the Minister spent time and interacted with ONGC engineers who work in temperatures around minus 40 degree Celsius in winter.

Mr. Pradhan also visited the Rig ‘Krechet’ which is the biggest and most powerful land rig in the world. It is a covered rig which allows people to work in extreme temperatures (-40° Celsius in winter) and has capability to drill up to 14 kilometers horizontally.