"Gazprom dobycha Yamburg" / Production / Yamburg

Yamburg is an arctic shift settlement of ООО «Gazprom dobycha Yamburg» located in the Nadym region of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous okrug . Yamburg is located 148, 5 kilometers north of the Polar Circle in the Tazovsky Peninsular, in the inflow of the Nyudyamontopoyepoko-Yakha river to the Obskaya Bay.

The Yamburg settlement got its name from the Yamburgskoye field in the area of which it was constructed at the beginning of 1980-ies to become the centre of the field development.

The first «technological» expedition to the Yamburgskoye field, discovered by geologists in 1969, was made in October 1980. The pioneers were set an objective to lay the route, install metal range poles. Seven employees of the gas producing department (GPU) of NadymGazprom (now «Gazprom dobycha Nadym») started there by two cross-country vehicles. The first hundred kilometers went on the beaten track from the working settlement Pangoda till the most remote, the Medvezhye field of «NadymGazprom». Further there were virgin lands. The pathfinders had only an approximate track scheme, but they managed to cope with the set challenge.

The second expedition to Yamburg made by constructors during the navigation in 1981 turned out to be not very successful. The constructors came to the area of the future field by water. They landed a little further north, but the equipment unloaded from ship was not brought to the suggested space of the settlement: they lacked transport to get over the winter road.

In January 1982 a new motor-and-tractor column started from the northern part of the Medvezhye field. V.Strizhov, chief of production association «NadymGazprom», headed the next pioneer expedition to Yamburg. A.Ananenkov and Z. Salikhov were in charge of the expedition equipment. G.Zatsenko, chief of production control service of GPU, headed the sledge train. On the first vehicle there was fixed banner — «Support Yamburg! ».

The column overcame 300 kilometers of off-road, orienting to range poles, and on the night of the 23/24th of January they landed on the bank of the Nyudyamontopoyepoko-Yakha river.

This group chose the space for building of the Yamburg settlement.

In September 1984 by ruling of executive committee of the Tyumen oblast Council of people’s deputies the Yamburg settlement of the Nyda village council of the Nadym region was established. Trust «Yamburgstroygazdobycha» was formed, which was involved in the construction of the settlement and the field facilities. Yamburg was planned to be a town with population of 30 thousand people according to the initial general layout of construction. But in 1986 the government took a decision to develop and operate the Yamburgskoye oil gas condensate field by a rotational team method. Such a decision was the result of long and hot discussions of experts of gas production. The experience of the USA of constructing shift settlements in Alaska was taken as an example in the field development.

The Finnish experience in laying out northern settlements was used in the layout of Yamburg. They have built hotel type residential houses and dormitories. Most employees live in so-called modules. A module is a three-story building of four dormitories connected by heated passages with the public building. There are seven such modules. They have one-room residential sections for two persons, and two-room sections for five persons. Each section is provided with amenities. In the public block there are winter gardens, canteens, stores, cookeries, playing areas, gyms. Cosmonauts who visited Yamburg compared the gasmens’ houses with orbital modules, because people can stay inside for a whole year, with no need to go outside. The employees are especially proud of the cultural sport complex. It is a multifunctional community center. There is a library with a several thousand book collection. And in the 500-seat cinema and concert hall, noted Russian and foreign singers often perform.

In Yamburg around 5-6 thousand employees work, but none of them lives here permanently — it is either rotational team personnel of «Gazprom dobycha Yamburg» or its contracting companies. The employees work in the Yamburgskoye field during one or two months, then they have a rotational leave which usually lasts around one month.

In Yamburg there is a well-equipped medical station. It comprises a polyclinic, an ambulance, a hospital, a drug’s store, a rehabilitation treatment unit.

Yamburg has its attractions. It is a monument to the pioneers of the northern fields development and a corporate museum. St. John the Theologist Orthodox Church has been built in Yamburg. It is the northernmost on the planet. In August 2001 Alexy II, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, visited the field and consecrated the church.