The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) is a private graduate research university in Skolkovo, Russia, a suburb of Moscow, established in 2011 in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The institute is structured to ensure the close integration of technological education, research, and entrepreneurial skills. The institute delivers education for Masters and PhD programmes.
Gazprom Neft to develop digital technologies in conjunction with the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech)
Gazprom Neft has entered into a Cooperation Agreement with the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech), the document having been signed by Vadim Yakovlev, First Deputy CEO, Gazprom Neft, and Skoltech Rector Alexander Kuleshov , at the new laboratory at the Institute’s Centre for Hydrocarbon Recovery. Arkady Dvorkovich, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Alexander Dyukov, CEO, Gazprom Neft, and Victor Vekselberg , President of the Skolkovo Foundation, also took part in the signing ceremony. The signed agreement is directed at promoting a long-term partnership between the two organisations to promote the development of promising projects and new opportunities in oil and gas.
The parties will consider opportunities for working together on investigating promising applications for cognitive technologies in prospecting for and developing oil and gas fields, specifically in drilling and well finishing. In addition to this, Gazprom Neft and Skoltech are interested in expanding research into prognostic analysis of large volumes of data (“big data”), for developing technologies for data collection and storage, and for modelling and visualising data in geo-technological processes, as well as processes involved in oil transportation and refining.
Under their partnership the parties plan to arrange the independent examination of existing technological solutions and the development and implementation of new projects, as well as conducting research and development (R&D) activities. A further area of cooperation stipulated under the agreement concerns employee training and arranging internships and secondments, as well as sharing scientific and technical information.
Vadim Yakovlev, First Deputy CEO, commented: “Changing the quality of the resource base is one of the key trends driving current operating conditions in the oil and gas industry. The development of hard-to-recover reserves, and the development of remote, inaccessible oil-producing regions, demand fundamentally new approaches — and by far the most important role in improving the efficiency of production processes lies in information technology. Addressing the urgent task of creating domestic, world-class technologies for the oil and gas industry is only possible through close cooperation between science and business. Our agreement with Skoltech will play an important role in implementing the Company’s Technology Strategy.”
Victor Vekselberg, President, Skolkovo Foundation, added: “A very important and key point for us is that the laboratory we are now in becomes part of the ecosystem of the Skolkovo project. As a Skoltech laboratory it will be open to students as part of their education, giving us young specialists in possession of the most cutting-edge knowledge, in the greatest demand. At the same time, thanks to Gazprom Neft, this facility will also be open for partnerships with those major companies that are our industrial partners — and today’s agreement will be a good example for them. I would like to make clear my absolute confidence that, with Skoltech’s and the Skolkovo Foundation’s involvement, we will definitely be able, in the near future, to turn over a new page in developing Russia’s oil reserves. And we will remain competitive in the face of the very difficult situation currently emerging in the international markets.”
