Arctic rush

Testing of new samples of military equipment in the Arctic

Russia’s offshore energy projects in the Arctic

TASS has compiled a list of Russia’s offshore energy projects in the Arctic

MOSCOW, March 28. /TASS/. On March 29-30 Russia’s northern city of Arkhangelsk will play host to the 4th International Arctic Forum entitled The Arctic - Territory of Dialogue.

TASS DOSSIER has compiled a reference memo listing Russia’s offshore energy projects in the Arctic.

Reserves and production

According to the Russian Energy Ministry, Russia’s recoverable oil and gas reserves in the Arctic currently stand at 260 billion tonnes of equivalent fuel, or 60% of Russia’s recoverable hydrocarbon reserves. In 2015 the science doyen of the Oil and Gas Geology and Geophysics Institute under the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Aleksey Kontorovich, estimated Russia’s oil and gas reserves in the Arctic at 100 billion tonnes.

In 2016, the Arctic produced nearly 90 million tonnes of oil (17% percent of Russia’s overall production) and nearly 500 billion cubic meters of oil and gas (80%). At the moment nearly all hydrocarbon reserves are extracted on the mainland. Of the total 350 oil fields there 60 are active. Nineteen oil and gas fields have been explored in Russia’s sector of the Arctic in the Barents and Kara seas. Commercial production is underway only at one of them - Prirazlomnoye. Exploration work is in progress at more than 40 offshore fields in the Barents and Kara seas and the Eastern Arctic.

Investment into offshore oil and exploration in Russia in 2016 totaled 71.4 billion.

Offshore licenses

A ban on private companies’ access to the commercial operation of offshore fields in Russia’s Arctic has been effective since 2008. Most production licenses for the explored oil fields belong to Gazprom, including the Shtokman gas field. Rosneft holds the license to develop the Severo-Gulyayevskoye oil and gas field and conducts prospecting and exploration drilling in other areas. Before the 2008 ban LUKOIL had been licensed to develop the Varandey oil field. Rosneft, Gazprom, LUKOIL, Novatek and other companies explore other areas.

The possibility of letting private companies produce hydrocarbons offshore has been discussed for a long time, but no decisions have been made so far.

The sole active project

On April 18, 2014 Gazprom dispatched the first consignment of crude (70,000 tonnes) from the Prirazlomnoye field in the Pechora Sea in the Arctic. Oil is extracted from the stationary ice-resistant platform Prirazlomnaya (belongs to the Gazprom Neft Shelf company). Crude oil is transported by two ice class oil tankers: The Mikhail Ulyanov and The Kirill Lavrov. Two support ships help keep the platform going. Gazprom estimated the costs of developing the 70-million-tonne field at 126 billion rubles (roughly $2 billion). In 2016, Prirazlomnaya produced 2.154 million tonnes. The platform’s ongoing upgrade will increase output to 5.5-6 million tonnes a year.

Effects of sanctions

Before 2014 many of the offshore exploration projects were being carried out in cooperation with foreign companies: ExxonMobil, ConocoPhilips, Total and others.

In July-October 2014 the United States and the European Union introduced export licensing rules and then outlawed the export of goods meant for a number of oil projects in Russia related with deep sea extraction, including that on the Arctic shelf. All US companies stopped work on joint projects on October 10. ExxonMobil curtailed its cooperation with Rosneft in exploring the oil field Pobeda.


More:
http://tass.com/economy/938067

Russia to Open Barneo Ice Base Near North Pole in April - Presidential Envoy

Russia will open the Barneo camp near the North Pole in April, Russia's special presidential representative for international cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic regions told Sputnik in an interview.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia will open the Barneo camp on an ice floe near the North Pole in April that would allow scientists from different countries to work there, Russia's special presidential representative for international cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic regions told Sputnik in an interview.

"Russia's Barneo ice base, organized by the Russian Geographical Society [RGO] and the Association of Polar Explorers, would work in April. As soon as we find an ice floe and prepare a runway… equipment would be sent there and an ice camp would be set," Artur Chilingarov said ahead of the "Arctic: Territory of Dialogue" International Arctic Forum.

The presidential envoy added that within a month scientists from different countries would be able to explore ice, sea and weather in the region to monitor climate changes near the North Pole and make research on other Arctic-related sciences.

Russia's northern city of Arkhangelsk is expected to host a two-day international forum focused on the Arctic and cooperation in the polar region that would open later on Wednesday. A number of world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and his counterpart from Iceland Gudni Johannesson, will participate in the forum's events.

https://sputniknews.com/russia/201703291052065793-russia-barneo-ice-base/

Russia to Ramp Up Oil Output in Arctic to 26% in 20 Years – Energy Minister

htps://sputniknews.com/politics/201703301052111769-russia-arctic-oil-output/

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In the Arctic, Russia extracts around 80 percent of its total natural gas production, the minister added.

"Currently, we are producing about 17 percent of our total oil production in the Arctic. In 20 years, in accordance with our strategic plans this share will increase to as much as 26 percent," Novak said in an interview with the CNBC news broadcaster.


According to the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, the total value of energy resources concentrated in Russia's Arctic region exceeds $30 trillion. Ministerial experts predict that in the future, Russian oil and gas production will be mainly concentrated in the Arctic sea shelves.

This arctic base now looks really great and comfortable. Now they have to made concrete airstrip for whole year airfield and the base will be fully operational.

medo wrote:This arctic base now looks really great and comfortable. Now they have to made concrete airstrip for whole year airfield and the base will be fully operational.

It really does.

Hopefully more are built.

The Russian Defense Ministry's website has for the first time launched an interactive excursion around Russia's unique Arctic Trefoil military base.



https://sputniknews.com/military/201704171052707690-russia-military-base-arctic-region/

http://mil.ru/files/files/arctic/Arctic.html

3D preasentation of Arctic Trefoil. This base is really beautiful.

How important is this Svalbard place??
And what Russia's position here?

A broad look at the Arctic and it's strategic importance to Russia. Includes a look at NATO assets verses Russia presently and future plans.

http://nvo.ng.ru/armament/2017-08-18/6_961_arctic.html

AlfaT8 wrote:How important is this Svalbard place??
And what Russia's position here?

Not having entities described in old legal documents and constitutions is the norm. What happens under
modern conditions is that specific interpretations are applied. Svalbard has de facto control over its own
shelf since it is attached to Svalbard and not mainland Norway. If Norway wants to control the Svalbard shelf,
then it should impose a different governance system over Svalbard. It can't revise the current governance
so tough luck with the shelf.

.
I have been looking at this icebreaker/tanker Christophe de Margerie class. It can sail solo from Norway to Korea in 6 days fully loaded across the Arctic.

This looks like something that could be used as basis for a container ship. If it can cover that distance in 6 days with content as sensitive as LNG then cargo containers should be even less of a problem. Would open some interesting possibilities.

Well Russia ordered 15 of those things from what I understand and that's roughly 300m per ship.

so that's like 4.5B dollars.

Putin must be expecting an insane amount of sea traffic to justify buying that much LNG tankers, they are supposed to all be done by 2020

Back up plan for LNG to Europe when the pipes through Ukraine are shut at the end of 2019 and NordStream2 is late?

JohninMK wrote:Back up plan for LNG to Europe when the pipes through Ukraine are shut at the end of 2019 and NordStream2 is late?

Correct, come 2019 Ukraine is getting unplugged from gas transit infrastructure. They will keep selling them gas but it will be trough likeable middle man such as Slovakia like they do already.

Those 15 ships will be hauling LNG from Yamal gas field out of Port Sabetta to anywhere from EU to East Asia.

Original plan was to have icebreakers accompany tankers but apparently they can operate on their own 6 months​ a year (at least) as de Margery just demonstrated. So even better (and cost effective).

So in addition to Turk Stream and Nord Stream 2 (and 1 that is only used at 50% with constant convenient exceptions​ by Germany) they now have third gas route into Europe (and everywhere else)

This means that Ukrainian status of gas transit country is a goner. 

And I have a feeling that these 15 ships are just first batch of something bigger. South Koreans are never late with delivering on shipbuilding orders.

JohninMK wrote:Back up plan for LNG to Europe when the pipes through Ukraine are shut at the end of 2019 and NordStream2 is late?

I'd say this is secondary reason. First is south east Asia. India alone.... China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam or Indonesia is like 2/3 world's population that is rapidly getting richer (lookat GDP % ) so they need energy.

GunshipDemocracy wrote:

JohninMK wrote:Back up plan for LNG to Europe when the pipes through Ukraine are shut at the end of 2019 and NordStream2 is late?

I'd say this is secondary reason. First is south east Asia.  India alone.... China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Philippines,  Vietnam or Indonesia is like 2/3 world's population that is rapidly getting richer (lookat GDP % ) so they need energy.

Agreed but why would the need an ice breaker LNG tanker?

JohninMK wrote:

GunshipDemocracy wrote:

JohninMK wrote:Back up plan for LNG to Europe when the pipes through Ukraine are shut at the end of 2019 and NordStream2 is late?

I'd say this is secondary reason. First is south east Asia.  India alone.... China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Philippines,  Vietnam or Indonesia is like 2/3 world's population that is rapidly getting richer (lookat GDP % ) so they need energy.

Agreed but why would the need an ice breaker LNG tanker?

Like I said, Port Sabetta and Yamal gas field. That's their primary loading point. It's located in Arctic circle.

Other tours like Norway are just bonus.

PapaDragon wrote:

JohninMK wrote:

GunshipDemocracy wrote:

JohninMK wrote:Back up plan for LNG to Europe when the pipes through Ukraine are shut at the end of 2019 and NordStream2 is late?

I'd say this is secondary reason. First is south east Asia.  India alone.... China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Philippines,  Vietnam or Indonesia is like 2/3 world's population that is rapidly getting richer (lookat GDP % ) so they need energy.

Agreed but why would the need an ice breaker LNG tanker?

Like I said, Port Sabetta and Yamal gas field. That's their primary loading point. It's located in Arctic circle.

Other tours like Norway are just bonus.

in short -  northern route? + future underwater robotic gas mines?

PapaDragon wrote:

JohninMK wrote:Back up plan for LNG to Europe when the pipes through Ukraine are shut at the end of 2019 and NordStream2 is late?

Correct, come 2019 Ukraine is getting unplugged from gas transit infrastructure. They will keep selling them gas but it will be trough likeable middle man such as Slovakia like they do already.

No. These ships do not have anywhere near the capacity to replace the gas flow via Ukraine. Only Nordstream II has this ability.

Those 15 ships will be hauling LNG from Yamal gas field out of Port Sabetta to anywhere from EU to East Asia.

Russia is transitioning to LNG exports with the generous assistance of hysterical anti-Russian propaganda spewed by NATO. American LNG will have
to compete with Russian LNG for the global market. America has zero export capacity all their bleating about fracked gas notwithstanding. America
imports natural gas.

Original plan was to have icebreakers accompany tankers but apparently they can operate on their own 6 months​ a year (at least) as de Margery just demonstrated. So even better (and cost effective).

Actually, they are rated for ice over 2 meters thick and designed to operate year round. The era of 3+ meter thick ice is gone in the Arctic. The typical
ice thickness maximum is now under 2 meters. (Of course ice can pile up in places to be thicker but these locations are relatively rare).

GunshipDemocracy wrote:

PapaDragon wrote:

JohninMK wrote:

GunshipDemocracy wrote:

JohninMK wrote:Back up plan for LNG to Europe when the pipes through Ukraine are shut at the end of 2019 and NordStream2 is late?

I'd say this is secondary reason. First is south east Asia.  India alone.... China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Philippines,  Vietnam or Indonesia is like 2/3 world's population that is rapidly getting richer (lookat GDP % ) so they need energy.

Agreed but why would the need an ice breaker LNG tanker?

Like I said, Port Sabetta and Yamal gas field. That's their primary loading point. It's located in Arctic circle.

Other tours like Norway are just bonus.

in short -  northern route? + future underwater robotic gas mines?

Gas extraction from seabed sources occurs as with oil via surface oil rigs. Robotic drilling is today a myth. They don't even have such facilities
on land. Likely there will be seabed robotic pumping stations carrying gas/oil from the Arctic seabed to the coast but only after surface rigs
with human workers have done all the drilling and installation.

kvs wrote:

GunshipDemocracy wrote:

PapaDragon wrote:

JohninMK wrote:

GunshipDemocracy wrote:

JohninMK wrote:Back up plan for LNG to Europe when the pipes through Ukraine are shut at the end of 2019 and NordStream2 is late?

I'd say this is secondary reason. First is south east Asia.  India alone.... China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Philippines,  Vietnam or Indonesia is like 2/3 world's population that is rapidly getting richer (lookat GDP % ) so they need energy.

Agreed but why would the need an ice breaker LNG tanker?

Like I said, Port Sabetta and Yamal gas field. That's their primary loading point. It's located in Arctic circle.

Other tours like Norway are just bonus.

in short -  northern route? + future underwater robotic gas mines?

Gas extraction from seabed sources occurs as with oil via surface oil rigs.    Robotic drilling is today a myth.    They don't even have such facilities
on land.    Likely there will be seabed robotic pumping stations carrying gas/oil from the Arctic seabed to the coast but only after surface rigs
with human workers have done all the drilling and installation.

Not yet, but you also doo nto build LNG tanker fleet in 0 time, or am I wrong?


Underwater drilling robot for the Arctic can appear in five years

ARKHANGELSK, March 29 - RIA Novosti. Underwater robot for drilling under the ice of the Arctic Ocean may appear in five years, said the chief designer of the Central Design Bureau of Marine Engineering "Rubin" Yevgeny Toropov.

By 2018, they will develop prototypes of underwater robots for the development of the Arctic
"It is advisable to create a stand for the implementation of such an underwater drilling complex.This is a common practice in the defense sector to use the more economical financing schemes to develop a project within the next five years, to produce and test an underwater drilling robot onshore and at sea," Toropov said. forum "The Arctic is the Territory of Dialogue".
According to him, the underwater drilling robot is the central element of the underwater drilling complex, which is being developed under the auspices of the Foundation for Advanced Research (FPI) within the framework of the Iceberg project.
As previously stated by RIA Novosti, the head of the design group for the direction of physical and technical research FPI Victor Litvinenko, Russian scientists are developing the world's first civilian nuclear submarine, with which it is supposed to conduct seismic exploration under the ice of the Arctic.
The Prospective Research Foundation and the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering with the participation of the Defense Ministry, Gazprom, Rosneft, Rosatom and United Shipbuilding Company are working on the possibility of creating equipment for the under-ice development of hydrocarbon deposits in the zone of the year-round ice cover in the Russian Arctic.


РИА Новости https://ria.ru/science/20170329/1491062865.html

'
Interesting read (interesting source too)

The Northern Sea Route is completely ice-free and shipping thrives


https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/2017/09/northern-sea-route-completely-ice-free-and-shipping-thrives

Excellent photo report about towns in Arctic:

https://sdelanounas.ru/blogs/97650/

Preview:


Many more in the link, check it out!