West Siberian oil and the Northern Sea route: Current situation and future potential¹

This paper is the result of project work performed under the auspices of the International Northern Sea Route Programme (INSROP). INSROP—a comprehensive international, multidisciplinary research program inaugurated in 1993—is charged with investigating the possibilities for international commercial navigation through the Northeast Passage. The program is based on mutual research cooperation among three principal partners: The Ship and Ocean Foundation (SOF), Japan; the Central Marine Research and Design Institute (CNIIMF), Russia; and the Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI), Norway. The INSROP Secretariat is located at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, P.O. Box 326, 1324 Lysaker, Norway. Fax: (47)‐6711–1910; email: [email protected]; INSROP WWW homepage: http://www.npolar.no/insrop/index.html. The authors would like to thank the sponsors of INSROP—Nippon Foundation/Ship and Ocean Foundation, the Russian Federation government, the Research Council of Norway, the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Industry and Energy, the Norwegian Rebional Development Fund, Norsk Hydro, Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, Kværner a.s., and the Fridtjof Nansen Institute—for their support. The authors are grateful for the assistance of Rune Castberg in preparing the maps and for the comments from Trond Ramsland and two reviewers on a draft version of the article.

Abstract

A survey paper explores interrelationships between the development of oil and gas condensate deposits in northern areas of West Siberia and adjacent Krasnoyarsk Kray and the volume and character of traffic along the Northern Sea Route. Initial sections examine the magnitude of petroleum resources in the region, the allocation of development rights, and past and potential future production. Coverage then focuses on the problems involved in transporting the oil and gas condensate to markets, with special attention to different variants for the involvement of the Northern Sea Route in the transport of hydrocarbon output from existing and prospective fields in the Northern Ob'‐Yenisey Region.

Notes

This paper is the result of project work performed under the auspices of the International Northern Sea Route Programme (INSROP). INSROP—a comprehensive international, multidisciplinary research program inaugurated in 1993—is charged with investigating the possibilities for international commercial navigation through the Northeast Passage. The program is based on mutual research cooperation among three principal partners: The Ship and Ocean Foundation (SOF), Japan; the Central Marine Research and Design Institute (CNIIMF), Russia; and the Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI), Norway. The INSROP Secretariat is located at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, P.O. Box 326, 1324 Lysaker, Norway. Fax: (47)‐6711–1910; email: [email protected]; INSROP WWW homepage: http://www.npolar.no/insrop/index.html. The authors would like to thank the sponsors of INSROP—Nippon Foundation/Ship and Ocean Foundation, the Russian Federation government, the Research Council of Norway, the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Industry and Energy, the Norwegian Rebional Development Fund, Norsk Hydro, Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, Kværner a.s., and the Fridtjof Nansen Institute—for their support. The authors are grateful for the assistance of Rune Castberg in preparing the maps and for the comments from Trond Ramsland and two reviewers on a draft version of the article.