The Prime Minister visited an exhibition in the Oil and Gas Institute lobby, which describes the institute's development and future plans.

The institute representatives told the prime minister that the new building has cutting-edge facilities and equipment and includes 66 labs and rooms for practical work, 26 auditoriums and 17 classrooms for special subjects.

The project was financed by Rosneft, the Federal Agency for Education and the Krasnoyarsk Territory's government. This year, 300 students enrolled on a competitive basis, with 10 applicants competing for each scholarship available.

The Oil and Gas Institute is involved in innovation projects.

The Prime Minister was given a tour of the new institute's research labs, where undergraduate and graduate students work using state-of-the-art equipment. Mr Putin's escort told him that the university has received a grant for its project to develop biodegradable packaging.

"You had better develop bio-generating products," Mr Putin said.

At the end of his tour, the prime minister was shown a simulator to detect and handle drilling accidents. The device is almost identical to a real-life drill rig. The student who was showing how the simulator works, said the skills acquired while using it have significantly helped him to handle things on a real rig.

"So you have a new base," Mr Putin said. "That's good."