Russia and china battle us in race to control arctic. Energy potential of the russian arctic seas, volume 58 1st edition. This becomes evident from comparison of the usgs cara assessment with that of the resource potential of the russian arctic described by kaminsky et al. Natural gas production was 555 billion cubic meters, the same level as the previous year. Gazprom sent its first shipment of oil from its controversial russian arctic offshore platform on april 18, a landmark event that russian president vladimir putin said would contribute to. Russian arctic, eastern siberia and the barents sea. Higher world oil prices, the use of japanese technology, and the rejuvenation of old oil fields also helped. At the same time, more than 90% of our gas and 10% of oil comes from the deposits in the russian sector of the arctic. As extraction and pipeline technology opened up soviet gas fields in the 1960s, and the ongoing postwar reconstruction of europe stoked demand, eastwest gas. Srussian cooperation over arctic oil came to an abrupt halt and little has since been done in the kara sea project.
The region is known to be home to large gas and oil reserves. In september 20, gazprom announced that a total of 6. Melting arctic ice also makes it easier for oil companies to. Oil and gas industry infrastructure the first gas production from the russian arctic onshore fields started in the north of krasnoyarsk kray at the messoyakha field in 1969, from which the 671 kmlong worlds northernmost main gas pipeline has been built for two years to supply the city of norilsk and norilsk nickel enterprise with gas. I dont see much of an effect on price, said matthews. Russias total production of oil in 2016 amounted to 547,3 million tons, an increase of 2,7 percent from 2015, figures from the russian ministry of energy show. Rex tillerson gets the russian order of friendship from vladimir putin. Tsentralnoolginskaya1 in khatanga bay in the laptev sea. Gazprom neft operates the only oilproducing platform in russias arctic currently. The yamal lng plant, completed last december, can liquefy 16. The city of barow, the most northerly city in the us, is ground zero for the world. Land accounts for about of the arctics area and is thought to hold about 16% of the arctics remaining undiscovered oil and gas resource. Velikoye, an oil field with a projected reserve of 300 million tons of oil and 90 billion cubic meters of natural gas, is the largest found in russia in the last 20 years.
Chapter 1 an overview of the petroleum geology of the arctic. Apr 24, 2012 an oil spill in the russian arctic has affected an area of up to 8,000 square metres after workers tried to open an old well. Amerasian basin, arctic alaska basin, east barents basin, east greenland rift basin, west greenlandeast canada basin, west siberian basin, and the yenisey. Russia, worlds worst oil polluter, now drilling in arctic. The same fate came over rosnefts other two comprehensive arctic partnerships, the ones with eni and statoil. Gazprom neft launched its first arctic field, prirazlomnoye, at the end of 20, and first oil, and the new blend, arco, from arctic oil, reached markets the following year. Some 45% of the oil and natural gas production fields in the russian arctic are located in the highest hazard zone, according to the ipcc report. Arctic oil and gas 7 russia russian arctic opportunities may in fact be the big prize.
This work has resulted in the prudhoe bay oil field in alaska, the tazovskoye field in russia and hundreds of smaller fields, many of which are on alaskas north slope. Environment, identity and foreign policy library of arctic. Will a vast new russian arctic offshore oil field impact. However, russia will likely need higher prices to make largescale arctic exploration and production projects viable and those higher prices. Russian oil and gas fields in the arctic sputnik international. The oil field was discovered while drilling the northernmost well in the russian sector of the arctic shelf. But a similarity between the three countries is their national leaders heavyhanded approach to the issue. Arctic euphoria and international high north politics. Oil and gas fields containing immense reserves have been found in the russian section of the arctic seashelf to improve the performance of our website, show the most relevant news products and targeted advertising, we collect technical impersonal information about you, including through the tools of our partners. An oil spill in the russian arctic has affected an area of up to 8,000 square metres after workers tried to open an old well. Fears putin is plotting to seize arctic and claim oil and.
Besides, russian energy major gazprom and ongc videsh could sign a pact on the joint development of projects on the shelf of the pechora and okhotsk seas in russia, according to officials. Last month, russia unveiled 210 billion in incentives for new ports, factories, and oil and gas developments on the shores and in the waters of the arctic ocean. Dec 05, 2012 moscow the russian oil industry is at a crossroads. This is relatively simple to develop since it is 60 kilometres from the shore in a depth of about 20 metres of water. Largest oil field in 20 years discovered in russia russia. Gazprom, the russian oil giant, is the first russian company to drill for oil in the arctic.
It is operated by gazprom dobycha urengoy, a subsidiary of gazprom. In this book, the author takes us through the great barents awakening of the. Production is from cretaceous and jurassic paralic to nonmarine strata. They found one of russias biggest arctic oil fields, but now. Jan 31, 2017 russia to send largest military force to the arctic since the cold war amid fears putin is plotting to seize the entire region and claim its oil and gas reserves russias buildup is the biggest.
Few have studied the russian oil and gas industry longer or with a broader political perspective than gustafson. Moscow the russian oil industry is at a crossroads. Economic pain pushes russia to drill in high arctic politico. Mar 28, 2014 of the nearly sixty large oil and natural gas fields discovered in the arctic, there are fortythree in russia, eleven in canada, six in alaska, and one in norway, according to a 2009 u. Moscow and riyadh have struck a deal to limit global oil. Russian interests in oil and gas resources in the barents sea jstor. Shell plans to drill for oil just off the north coast of alaska, pulling the detonator on a carbon bomb. The arctic is a vast repository of untapped oil and gas reserves.
The only example of russian hydrocarbon production is gazpromneft s project in the prirazlomnoye field of the pechora sea. Aug 30, 2015 today, russia is one of the three world leaders in the production of hydrocarbons. Canadian businesses are unlikely to either benefit or suffer from increased russian oil activity in the arctic. The oil field was named pobeda victory, which is a sacred word for every russian citizen. Aug 11, 2014 an eu council statement said export licenses will be denied if products are destined for deepwater oil exploration and production, arctic oil exploration or production of russian shale oil. Major hydrocarbon reserves have been discovered and developed during the last 20 yr in the russian arctic. In june 20, exxon mobil and rosneft agreed to develop oil exploration technologies at a new arctic research center to help their joint venture to search for oil in the russian arctic. A fleet of icebreaking tankers, still under construction, will transport the liquefied natural gas lng along the russian arctic coast to markets in europe and asia. If you are the russian government today and if you want to keep having your oil and gas, you need to start developing offshore arctic oil and gas fast.
Russian oil industry at a crossroads as infrastructure ages. See russias massive new gas plant on the arctic coast. Russias onshore oil and gas fields are depleting and are depleting fast, said mika mered, managing partner at polarisk, a consultancy specializing in polar issues. Pdf norwegianrussian political relations and barents oil and gas. Over the last few years, russia has intensified the development of the vast hydrocarbon resources of its continental shelf, through state incentives aimed at stimulating offshore oil and gas production. Feb 03, 2017 russia views its arctic oil and gas as a key resource, while the leaders of the u. India, russia may seal oil field deal in octs annual summit. Arctic euphoria and international high north politics geir honneland on. Jul 30, 2014 and when rosneft needed expertise to explore for oil in russias arctic waters, it turned to exxon mobil, the u. Drilling for oil and gas in the arctic ocean poses new and difficult challenges for industry, and this is particularly worrying for conservation advocates who oppose russias advance into the arctic.
Russia to send largest military force to the arctic since the cold war amid fears putin is plotting to seize the entire region and claim its oil and gas reserves russias buildup is the biggest. Mazneva, sanctions, oil slump delay russian offshore drilling 23 years, bloomberg business, 29 sep 15. Apr 21, 2014 gazprom sent its first shipment of oil from its controversial russian arctic offshore platform on april 18, a landmark event that russian president vladimir putin said would contribute to economic. According to preliminary estimations, the arctic reserves have nearly 100 billion tons of fuel, alexei kontorovich, director of the institute of petroleum geology and geophysics of the russian academy of sciences, told journalists. The prirazlomnoye oil field in the pechora sea started pumping oil back in late 20. Energy studies in april 2015 and february 2017 which both. As extraction and pipeline technology opened up soviet gas fields in the 1960s, and the ongoing postwar reconstruction of europe stoked demand, eastwest gas trade became all but inevitable. It is further estimated that approximately 84% of the undiscovered oil and gas occurs offshore. Developments in petroleum science energy potential of the. Oil and gas transportation systems in the russian arctic. The main intention of arctic oil is to replace production of some of the more mature russian fields, said kapustin. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the geology and the petroleum potential of the arctic.
Big growth for russian arctic oil the independent barents. In the aftermath of the collapse of the soviet union, russian oil output plummeted from an alltime high of 11. Today, more than 90% of gas reserves and more than 45% of oil reserves on the shelves of the earths circumpolar belt are concentrated on russia s west arctic shelf in the seas of the arctic ocean. Russia may be borrowing a page from canadas book in drafting the policy.
More than 70% of the mean undiscovered oil resources is estimated to occur in five provinces. Russia and north america diverge on arctic resources arctic. As for oil and gas reserves, the artic is the new western siberia. Of the nearly sixty large oil and naturalgas fields discovered in the arctic, there are fortythree in russia, eleven in canada, six in alaska, and one in norway, according to a 2009 u. Aug 22, 2016 it has recently made a deal with the devil. Thus, the russian arctic oil and gas transportation system started working 58 years earlier than that in alaska through the transalaska pipeline built in 1977 to transport oil from the alaska north slope fields area of the prudhoe bay unit to the port of valdez in the south of alaska. A free report backed out of russian arctic joint venture to develop the meretoyakhaneftegaz oil fields with russiabased gazprom neft gzpfy free report the.
Of the remaining eight large russian fields, five are in the timanpechora basin, two in the south barents basin, and one is in the ludlov saddle. Thirtyfive of these large russian fields 33 natural gas and 2 oil are located in the west siberian basin. Sep 21, 2018 the two sides are further exploring opportunities for joint development of russian on shore oil fields and the arctic shelf of russia. Russia kicks up arctic oil drilling as polar ice caps melt. However, russia remains unable to realize these oil and gas projects in the arctic. Jun 21, 2017 the oil field was discovered while drilling the northernmost well in the russian sector of the arctic shelf. A pumpjack works at a well head on an oil and gas installation near cremona, alta. Russias rosneft at it again, to sink billions more in new. In this article, alexey kontorovich shares his vision of the present and future of the oil and gas. Greenpeace has called on gazprom to abandon its drilling plans over safety concerns.
Russian landbased oil and natural gas production in the arctic is peaking year after year. This timely book analyses the status of hydrocarbon energy in russia as both a. Sakhalin island, the jeanne darc basin offshore eastern canada and the cook inlet in alaska. An eu council statement said export licenses will be denied if products are destined for deepwater oil exploration and production, arctic oil exploration or production of russian shale oil. Prospecting, exploration and development of oilandgas fields in the twentieth century 1. The termination of geological exploration work in the arctic after 1991, coupled with the loss of the arctic drilling fleet, mean that the russian arctic shelf remains.
Fears putin is plotting to seize arctic and claim oil and gas. The urengoy gas field extracts 260 billion cubic meters of natural gas, more than 5,000 tons of condensate and 825,000 tons of oil per year. Enormous oil, gas reserves found in russias arctic region. Energy potential of the russian arctic seas 1st edition isbn. The prirazlomnaya offshore iceresistant oilproducing platform is seen at. In june 2007, a group of russian geologists returned from a. Apr 21, 2014 velikoye, an oil field with a projected reserve of 300 million tons of oil and 90 billion cubic meters of natural gas, is the largest found in russia in the last 20 years. Arctic alaska, amerasia basin, east greenland rift basins, east barents basins, and west greenlandeast canada.
The prirazlomnaya offshore iceresistant oil producing platform is seen at. Largest oil field in 20 years discovered in russia. Petroleum geology of the west siberian basin and a detailed. Oil and natural gas resources map of the arctic ocean. Offshore arctic oil and gas market report provides a detailed capital expenditure forecast for the oil and gas sector in the arctic region and analysis on offshore oil and gas developments within the arctic circle and in the three major sub arctic areas. A 2012 report for greenpeace that chuprov coauthored looks at the results of decades of irresponsible exploitation of russias mainland oil and gas fields, including the arctic portion, by oil. The united states geological survey estimates that over 87% of the arctic s oil and natural gas resource about 360 billion barrels oil equivalent is located in seven arctic basin provinces.