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Navigation

• Chapter 1: Oil and gas resources on the Arctic Con
• 1.1. Russia’s oil and gas industry - a historical
• 1.2. Oil and gas raw material base on the Russia’s
• 1.3. Strategy for developing the oil and gas poten
• 1.4. Oil resources on Russia’s Euro-Arctic shelf
• 1.5. Gas resources on Russia’s Euro-Arctic shelf
• 1.6. Development of offshore oil and gas reserves
• 1.7. Subsoil regulation in Russia
• 1.8. Companies operating on the Arctic shelf
• Appendix I - I
• Appendix I - II
• Appendix I – III
• Appendix I – IV
• Appendix I - V
• Appendix I - VI
• Appendix I - VII
• Chapter 2: Transporting oil and gas in Northwest R
• 2.1. State regulations and strategies
• 2.2. Existing transport systems in Northwest Russi
• 2.3 Navigation
• 2.4. Future plans for oil and gas transport in Nor
• Chapter 3. Environmental risks when extracting an
• 3.1. Environmental risk when carrying out geologic
• 3.2. Environmental risks when exploiting oil and g
• 3.3. The Environmental risk when transporting oil
• 3.4. The state of the environment in the Pechora,
• Appendix III - I
• Appendix III - II
• Chapter 4. Oil and gas accidents – prevention and
• 4.1. Accidents and incidents: causes and consequen
• 4.2. Oil spill classification and responsibilities
• 4.3. Drafting plans for eliminating accidental oil
• 4.4. Eliminating spills
• 4.5 The Barents Sea’s Emergency Rescue Organizatio
• 4.6. Assessing damage and fines
• 4.7. The role of public organisations
• Appendix IV - I
• Appendix IV - II
• Appendix IV - III
• Chapter 5. Environmental impact of oil and gas ac
• 5.1. The Barents Sea
• 5.2. Environmental impact of oil and petroleum pro
• 5.3. The key areas for preserving bioresources in
• Appendix V - I
• Appendix V - II
• Appendix V - III
• Conclusion
• Appendix VI. The future of the northern regions

1.6. Development of offshore oil and gas reserves on the Arctic shelf

The offshore oil and gas resources of the Arctic shelf is situated in a geographical area characterized by a rough climate, difficult ice conditions, and long distances from the existing infrastructure. The lack technology and offshore experience, together with the difficult climatic conditions makes it a major challenge for the Russian government to develop these fields, they consider so strategic important.

It is still the oil and gas complex who decides how to develop the offshore fields, and from where to find the astronomic investments required to build the infrastructure needed. Some of the different plans for infrastructure when developing the offshore fields today are as follows:
- To develop the fields by using both stationary and mobile ice resistant platforms and sub sea solutions for exploitation.
- To use floating nuclear power plants as energy supply for the offshore platforms in the Russian Arctic. One prototype is being constructed and 6 -7 more are planned at the shipyard in Severodvinsk in Archangelsk. The Federl Agency on Nuclear Energy (Rosatom) confirms that considers the use of two floating nuclear power stations for the development of the Shtokman field and another three stations for fields along the Yamal peninsula. The company wants the power stations to fuel both production and transport operations.⁶⁵
Rosbaltnord.ru reports that Gazprom believes that each nuclear plant will allow saving up to 150 million cubic meters of gas per year, this will make 40 million dollars extra in gas exports. - To use domestic military technology to develop offshore fields and to construct ice-resistant platforms.

For your information
According to “Rosgidromet”, the Arctic climate is becoming milder. There will be more storms and big ice-bergs in the Barents Sea. There will be a possibility to meet icebergs the size of Jamaica in the Barents Sea. In Russia there is neither experience nor technology to deal with this.⁶⁶

Footnotes:
[65] http://www.rosbaltnord.ru/news/25520.html Back
[66] Dmitri Zhdannikov/Reuters, 27 April 2007, Moscow Back