The towing operation from Murmansk to Mexico is being conducted by the Murmansk Shipping Company for the Gazprom subsidiary Sevmorneftegaz, the licence holder in the Shtokman and Prirazlomnoe projects, reported barentsobserver.com.

The hull has now been sold to a project in the Gulf of Mexico. It will be used as component in a new platform. The towing operation is being conducted in cooperation with the Global Maritime Scotland Ltd. It is the Murmansk Shipping Company's icebreaker "Vladimir Ignatyuk" which is being applied in the operation. The report added that Gazprom's "Prirazlomnaya" platform is currently under construction at the Sevmash yard in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast. It is now believed that production start-up will take place no earlier than 2011.

(As per the information available on oilandgas.org.uk, Hutton TLP was the first ever production Tension Leg Platform (TLP) - a floating production platform permanently moored to the sea floor via tethers or tendons (tension legs) at each of the structures corners. Hutton TLP was originally installed in 1984 by Conoco, but at the time of decommissioning it had been bought by Kerr-McGee. It was removed for re-use outside the UK when the platform was purchased by Seymorneftegaz in August 2002, and after having its decommissioning programme accepted by the UK Government. The floating platform was towed to Murmansk in Russia where the topsides facilities and main hull were de-mated. Subsequently the topsides were transported by barge to the Sevmash fabrication yard at Severodvinsk, where they were temporarily stored while undergoing refurbishment and refitting. After completion the topsides were reinstalled onto a new hull structure, and towed into position ready for a new role in the development of the Prirazlomnoye Field, 1200 km north east of Arkhangelsk in the Barents Sea).