Bristow Helicopters has established a new company, Sakhalin Bristow Air Services Ltd (SBAS), to take a controlling interest in the former operations of Sakhalin Air Services (SAS) for the provision of fixed wing and helicopter support services on Sakhalin Island, Russia.

SAS had developed a long working relationship with the oil and gas industry in Sakhalin over eight years and Bristow says it is delighted to be able to continue this support and development.

SBAS will provide fixed wing and a variety of helicopter support services for the expanding oil and gas sector on the island.

At present this includes the provision of three Dash 8 aircraft for the Exxon and Shell consortiums and four Mi-8 MTV helicopters for the Shell consortium, Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd (SEIC), on a contract through to June 2008.

The managing director respon-sible for all SBAS Sakhalin operations will be Simon Beadsworth, one of

the founders of SAS.

Sakhalin Island is the centre of a crude oil and gas development project located in the East of Russia. SEIC is a Shell-led consortium established in 1994 to manage the Sakhalin 2 project. Sakhalin 2 reportedly involves the largest single foreign direct investment in Russia and is the first PSA agreement to go into operation.

Production from Phase 1 of the project commenced in 1999 and is currently 10.3 million bbl of oil per annum. Phase 2 involves the development of further fields, construction of pipelines, an LNG liquefaction plant and an export terminal.

The chief executive of Bristow Helicopters, Keith Chanter, said: “This expansion of our international activities into one of the major oil and gas development areas in the world illustrates our commitment to make our experience in the provision of helicopter services available for our customers on a global basis.

“We are delighted to have reached agreement with our Russian partners in the creation of the new company, Sakhalin Bristow Air Services Ltd, to progress our future investment in aviation services to support the expanding oil and gas sector on Sakhalin Island.”