U.S. oil giant Exxon Mobil and Russia’s Rosneft began drilling in Russia's most northerly well, the West Alpha rig in the Kara Sea. The start of the drilling was launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a video teleconference with Head of Rosneft Igor Sechin and Head of ExxonMobil Russia Glenn Waller who were both present on the drilling platform.
The Russian leader hailed the exploration project as an example of mutually beneficial cooperation that strengthens global energy security.
Meanwhile, Sechin compared the resource base of the project to that of Saudi Arabia.
"This project will give Russia a new perspective and will ensure energy security for the whole world. Comparing this project with others in the world from the resource stand point, we can confidently say that it is comparable with the largest resources, such as in Saudi Arabia, and significantly exceeds the capabilities of offshore supply in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska and Canada," he told reporters. Sechin added that it is planned to carry out the exploration drilling to confirm the presence of oil and gas bearing structures on the shelf of western Siberia.
