????俄國佬說，從國家安全的角度來說，考慮到恐怖分子將來襲擊石油設(shè)施，或者中東戰(zhàn)爭擾亂國際石油供應(yīng)的可能性，“北冰洋比波斯灣安全，不是嗎？”

????“但在北冰洋也有問題，那就是冰山。如果一有冰山漂過來我們就停止開采，那可不是個(gè)辦法，是吧？另一個(gè)問題是石油可能泄漏到冰蓋里，環(huán)境恢復(fù)？幾乎不可能，”他說。但看起來并不擔(dān)心這個(gè)問題。

????正相反，他笑得很開心。他已經(jīng)找到了答案！他的雙眼亮了起來，粗壯的手指在鍵盤上亂按了幾下，然后停了下來，拿起一只筆開始畫草圖。

????“我們需要為北冰洋開發(fā)專門的技術(shù)，不是嗎？”

????我驚訝地意識到他畫的是一艘潛于深海的核動力油輪，類似于巨型潛水艇。他說這種船能像草圖演示的那樣，在冰蓋下航行，抵達(dá)海底油田所在地，接上運(yùn)輸管道，然后吸出石油或天然氣。

????在他手提電腦上跑步的那些男人代表著心情愉快、體質(zhì)上佳的員工，他們將運(yùn)行上面提到的這些海底設(shè)施。

????“我們希望將所有勘探與生產(chǎn)工作都在冰下完成，海面環(huán)境并不友好?！?/p>

????我脫口而出：“你們已經(jīng)開始在俄國打造這個(gè)了？”

????“我們?nèi)陜?nèi)就可以開工?！?/p>

????“哦，那它現(xiàn)在只是一種理論吧？”

????“不！不僅是理論！二戰(zhàn)（World War II）時(shí)德國人就造出了水下油輪，用來運(yùn)輸補(bǔ)給品?！?/p>

????“那些是U型潛艇，它們尺寸很小，不可能用那么小的U型潛艇運(yùn)輸可用的補(bǔ)給品?！?/p>

????韋里克霍夫笑了：“越大越容易造，而且現(xiàn)在政府已開始產(chǎn)生興趣?！?/p>

????他說，俄羅斯已經(jīng)運(yùn)作過幾艘核動力破冰船。俄國知道北冰洋石油的價(jià)值，他還解釋說，亞北極地區(qū)的石油已經(jīng)幫助俄羅斯重新崛起為世界強(qiáng)國。按計(jì)劃，俄羅斯的新Prirazlomnoye北冰洋海上油田很快將會投產(chǎn)，伯朝拉海岸邊還有35座油井將按計(jì)劃動工。

????韋里克霍夫在酒店房間里說，運(yùn)輸可燃性極高的液化天然氣的水下油輪要比傳統(tǒng)油輪更為安全，因?yàn)榧词拱l(fā)生爆炸，他們也不會著火，畢竟水下沒有氧氣，無從燃燒。水下油輪可以全年運(yùn)行，無需擔(dān)憂冰山問題。它們抵達(dá)水下開采口之后，接上管道就能開采天然氣或石油，裝滿后可開走，滿足世界需求。

????“非常安全?！?/p>

????From a national security standpoint, the Russian said, when it comes to the problem of terrorists of the future attacking oil infrastructure, or of fighting in the Mideast interrupting international oil supply, "Arctic is more safe than Persian Gulf, yes?

????"But in Arctic we have problems, icebergs. If we stop operations in times of icebergs it is not very good, yes? Another problem is oil spill in ice. Recovery? Practically zero," he said. But he did not look worried.

????On the contrary, he was smiling. He had an answer! His eyes lit up and his blunt fingers stumbled over the keyboard, stopped, lifted a pen, sketched.

????"We need special technology for Arctic, yes?"

????Astounded, I realized he was drawing an underwater nuclear powered tanker, a kind of huge submarine that, he said, would travel beneath the ice, arrive at a sea bottom wellhead, attach itself to piping—as in the sketch—and suck up oil or gas.

????The men running on his laptop represented the happy and physically fit staff that would manage the subsea facility.

????"Our intention is to put all the exploration and production under the ice. Surface is not friendly."

????I blurted, "You're building this in Russia?"

????"We could in three years."

????"Ah, it's just a theory?"

????"No! Not theory! The Germans had underwater tankers in World War II. Deliver supplies."

????"But those were U-boats. U-boats are small. You can't transport usable supplies of oil in little U-boats."

????Velikhov smiled. "Bigger is easier. And now government is starting interest."

????Russia, he said, already operated several nuclear-powered icebreakers. Russia knew the value of Arctic oil, he explained. Russian subarctic oil had fueled that country's resurgence as a world power. Russia's new Prirazlomnoye Arctic offshore oil field was scheduled to come on-line soon, with 35 more wells planned offshore in the Pechora Sea.

????Underwater tankers carrying highly flammable liquefied natural gas, Evgeny argued in the hotel room, would be safer than traditional tankers because they couldn't catch fire if there was an explosion. After all, there was no oxygen under the sea to ignite. The subtankers could operate year round without worry about icebergs. They would arrive at an underwater wellhead, couple into the pipes, pump aboard gas or oil, and be on their way to supply the world.

????"Ve-ry safe."