Arctic Gas Research Articles

All that is Frozen Melts into the Sea: Arctic Gas, Science, and Capitalist Natures

ABSTRACT Considerable ecological Marxist analysis has investigated the centrality of nonhuman natures such as soil, forests, and rivers in capitalist accumulation: not only the importance of overcoming natural barriers but appropriating the unpaid productivity of natures for free or low cost. The frozen materiality of ice, however, is a particularly unruly and disagreeable nature that defies most attempts to easily subsume it within capital. This article examines the efforts by the Polar Gas Project – a lengthy pipeline proposed during the 1970s that would have shipped large quantities of natural gas from the Canadian Arctic to southern markets – and specific attempts to develop reliable ice science to facilitate its development. Applying Collard and Dempsey’s analytic of five orientations of capitalist natures, this article examines Polar Gas’ attempted production of ice as an “underground infrastructure,” “outcast surplus,” and “threat.” Through this, empirical evidence of scientific work to produce capitalist natures is detailed and the specific materiality of ice examined in the context of proposed accumulation, revealing the historical limits of capital’s production and remaking of nature.

CAGE21-1 Cruise Report: AKMA-AKER-GReAT

The research expedition cruise CAGE21-1 is a major component of the project AKMA and it is organized under the helm of the Norwegian Centre of Excellence for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, CAGE at UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø. The cruise may be known as: CAGE21_1

Numerical evaluation of the effectiveness of frost heave mitigation strategies for chilled arctic gas pipelines

Numerical evaluation of the effectiveness of frost heave mitigation strategies for chilled arctic gas pipelines

Партнерство государства и бизнеса для обеспечения экономической устойчивости сложных промышленных нефтегазовых систем в Арктике.

The development of the Arctic's unique hydrocarbon resources is the basis for Russia's long-term economic stability and energy security. Hydrocarbon production in the harsh conditions of the Far North is associated with many environmental, technological and organizational difficulties, in this regard, mutually beneficial cooperation between the state and oil and gas market participants in the development of complex industrial oil and gas systems is of particular relevance. Of paramount importance is the development of integration mechanisms to achieve a high level of technological equipment of the Arctic oil and gas complex. The basis for the formation of partnerships is the improvement of the institutional environment for coordinating the multiple interests of the state and business and increasing the economic stability of the Arctic oil and gas systems in the long term. For the purpose of the research, a content analysis of Russian and foreign literature devoted to the processes of combining public and private potential to solve production and management tasks in the mineral resource complex was carried out, the regulatory and legal support for strategic management of the Russian oil and gas sector was analyzed. To study the prospects for the development of strategic partnerships, general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, decomposition of factors, elements of situational analysis and strategic planning are involved. The article considers the main priorities of Russia's state policy in the implementation of the oil and gas complex in the Arctic; examines the directions of formation of strategic partnerships between the state and business to ensure the sustainability of industrial oil and gas systems in the face of global challenges; identifies limitations and formulated prospects for the development of the analyzed types of cooperative forms; presents a conceptual scheme of the organization of technological polygons in the Arctic.

Институциональные аспекты налогового регулирования арктических нефтегазовых проектов.

The article presents the issues of tax regulation connected to the implementation of oil and gas projects in the Arctic region of Russia. Over the past decades, revenue from oil and gas have dominated the state budget and, as a following, the country's economy. Fiscal policy has evidently become one of the main regulators of support and development of this industry. Currently, the mineral extraction tax, export duty and additional income tax have become the main types of payments for the use of subsoil. Current trends of exploration and development of deposits have shifted towards the seas and oceans of the Arctic basin and facing new technical and legislative challenges. Significant differences in the conditions for the development of “Arctic” and “traditional” fields require a differentiated approach to tax regulation, in order to stimulate investment activity in the Arctic and improve the efficiency of oil and gas projects in the region. The study is built on elements of a functionalist institutional approach to the formation of tax relations and regulations between the state and businesses, representing the main Arctic players. The functionalist approach assumes that institutions reflect the interests of their creators. Any change in interests or conditions leads to the transformation of the institution, as evidenced by the permanent change in the rules of tax regulation in the fields of production and realization of oil and gas products. The purpose of the study was to monitor the tax regulation related to the development of the oil and gas business in the Arctic, which ensures the formation of a cargo base and an increase in the load on the Northern Sea Route. The first part of the study is devoted to the definition of special conditions for the implementation of projects in the Arctic region which determine the need for special tax regulation. The second part of the discussion considers the transformation of tax regulation of Arctic oil and gas projects in terms of mineral extraction tax and export duty. The study allows us to conclude that the state, being one of the key stakeholders, introduces tax incentives and creates favorable conditions for companies, taking on the risks of losing tax revenue. However, this approach opens up access to the oil and gas reserves of the Arctic region, the extraction of which was previously economically inefficient.

Цифровая трансформация арктического нефтегазового комплекса: новые вызовы и возможности.

Currently, digital transformation has become one of the global technological trends. For the effective development of the mineral resource base and the implementation of planned projects, it is necessary to update technological solutions in order to optimize business processes along the entire value chain of the product. This topic is especially relevant for the national oil and gas complex. The existing problems associated with the depletion of traditional hydrocarbon reserves, the complication of mining and geological conditions and the need to search for new sources of resource development require fundamentally new technological solutions. Modern conditions for the functioning of energy markets, associated with a high degree of uncertainty in macroeconomic parameters, the activation of "green" trends and the development of approaches to responsible financing, also form new requirements for the industry and the oil and gas companies themselves. Today, the introduction of digital technologies is one of the most important areas for the development of the oil and gas sector. The purpose of the work is to study and justify new challenges and opportunities for digital transformation of the oil and gas complex in the Arctic. The paper defines the role of digital transformation for the mineral resource complex (MCC), explores the key areas, dynamics and development trends of this process. The analysis of the existing experience of domestic and foreign companies in the framework of the introduction of digital technologies in the oil and gas sector was carried out. The decomposition of the tasks of digital transformation of oil and gas companies is given. The role of the digital transformation of the Arctic oil and gas complex is substantiated by systematizing key external and internal challenges. A list of technologies relevant for implementation in the development of hydrocarbon resource potential in the Arctic has been developed, the main effects of digitalization have been systematized, and potential difficulties in implementing this process in the current conditions have been identified.

New Methods for Predicting Strain Demand of Arctic Gas Pipelines across Permafrost under Frost Heave Displacement

With increasing gas resource development in the Arctic region, gas pipeline installations in permafrost regions are becoming important. Frost heave of pipeline foundation soils may occur when a chilled gas pipeline passes through unfrozen areas with frost-susceptible soils. The stress and strain behaviors caused by the differential frost heave will directly affect the safety of the pipeline. A nonlinear finite element model (FEM) computing the mechanical responses of the buried gas pipeline subjected to frost heave load was established and successfully validated with the results of a large-scale indoor pipe-soil interaction experiment carried out in Caen in France. Utilizing C# language and object-oriented visual programming techniques, a new customized parametric strain calculation software was developed. The effects of pipe diameter, pipe wall thickness, pipe internal pressure, and peak soil resistance on the longitudinal strain of X60, X70, and X80 steel pipes have been investigated quantitatively. For the first time, a fitting semiempirical equation and trained backpropagation neural network (BPNN) for predicting pipeline strain demand subjected to frost heave load were proposed based on 2688 groups of FEM results. The comparison results have proved their high accuracy and lower running time cost. The proposed new methods can be applied in the strain-based pipeline design and safety evaluation of pipelines in service. It is in the hope of supplementing existing theory and identifying new approaches for arctic gas pipeline installations.

Coordination of Economic and Defense Activities in the Pacific Region

Europe — Eurasia — Asia. Each continent of the vast continent corresponds to a dominant continental power, respectively Germany — Russia — China; in one of them (China), in the zone of conjugation of the Eurasian and Asian continental civilizations, that is, in the Russian-Chinese borderland, a new regional entity is emerging and developing with the attributes of a maritime civilization.Aim. The aim of the study is to solve the scientific problem of matching the national interests of the two countries within this regional maritime space.Tasks. To achieve the goal of the study, the following tasks are being solved: to substantiate the structure of the allocated geopolitical entity and to identify the directions of interaction between the two countries on the basis of coordinating economic and defense activities in the Pacific region.Methods. In this work, the methodological tools of spatial economics and the theory of new economic geography are used, which make it possible to combine geopolitical and economic (geoeconomic) imperatives in a localized space when coordinating joint activities. The core of this formation is the three seas of the Pacific basin adjacent to the territory of China. However, China’s strategic interests extend further, to the north, into the water area of at least two Russian seas. Thus, Russia is also involved in joint maritime activities within the Pacific region.Results. As a result, this creates a space of common national interests, which covers the waters of the five seas and adjacent territories. The regional core of this formation tends to expand, north, east and south, and further west, into the Indian Ocean.Conclusion. The conclusions of the study are that the maritime (more precisely, naval) activities of the two continental powers are essentially becoming the basis of cooperation and cooperation between Russia and China, since Russia can contribute to the implementation of China’s vast national interests only in the defense sphere, providing, in addition, significant, political support for China. As for economic activity, first of all, while meeting the growing demand of the Chinese economy for energy resources (oil, gas and coal), the prospects in this direction lie outside the current planning horizons (until 2035) when implementing large Arctic gas projects. in the water area of the Gulf of Ob “Arctic LNG 1, 2, 3”.

Hydrocarbon potential and prospects for exploration of Eastern Arctic oil and gas deposits

Conditions for the formation of hydrocarbon systems and prospects for searching for accumulations of oil and gas in the waters of the Eastern Arctic are considered. Significant hydrocarbon potential is predicted in the sedimentary basins of this region. All known manifestations of oil hydrocarbons are installed on land adjacent to the south, as well as on the east of the shelf. The East Arctic waters are included in a single model in order to perform an adequate comparative analysis of the evolution of hydrocarbon systems. The purpose of the research was to build space-time digital models of sedimentary basins and hydrocarbon systems, and to quantify the volume of generation, migration, and accumulation of hydrocarbons for the main horizons of source rocks. To achieve this goal, a spatiotemporal numerical basin simulation was carried out, based on which the distribution of probable hydrocarbon systems was determined and further analyzed. Following to the data obtained the most probable HC accumulation zones and types of fluids contained in potential traps were predicted. Keywords: numerical space-time basin modeling; modeling of hydrocarbon systems; evidence of oil and gas presence; Eastern Arctic; elements of hydrocarbon systems; oil and gas reservoirs; migration; accumulation; perspective objects

Пространственная организация освоения газовых ресурсов Ямальской нефтегазоносной области

The Yamal oil and gas province (OGP) is strategically important for the Russian gas industry. In the coming decade, gas production in Yamal is expected to grow to 180–200 billion cubic meters per year. The main goal of the article is to solve a scientific problem consisting in the study of the spatial organization of the development of gas resources, determination of the rational structure of reproduction of natural gas reserves in the Yamal oil-gas-bearing region in the context of the modernization of the Arctic gas industry complex. The article assessed the gas resources of Yamal, revealed trends in the economic development of natural gas fields, presented the characteristics of investment projects based on the fields being developed. An analysis was carried out that made it possible to differentiate the deposits by the degree of their prospects, and a strategy for expanding the hydrocarbon potential of Yamal was determined. It was revealed that the main areas of production in the Yamal oil-gas-bearing region are associated with the development of deposits with a high level of Cenomanian deposits. Such deposits are characterized by a higher increase in the capitalization and profitability of investment projects in real time compared to fields located in the northern and far eastern seas, including on the shelf of the Kara Sea. It was concluded that the strategy for the reproduction of hydrocarbon potential will be aimed at conducting prospecting and exploration in order to transfer forecast resources to industrial reserves of natural gas. The study applies a general scientific methodology providing for systemic and comprehensive approaches to justify the spatial organisation of gas resources development in the Yamal oil and gas bearing region. A significant body of factual material on the state of free gas and condensate reserves in Yamal has been analyzed. The results of the research were obtained with the use of comparative-analytical, statistical methods of economic analysis.

Анализ возможности эскалации аварии в системе надземных многониточных газопроводов в условиях Арктики

Assessment of the risk of accidents for the pipelines in the multi-line corridors is very relevant, especially in the event of a possible escalation of an accident from one line to another. Methodological approach for assessing the conditional probability of an escalation of an accident on the multi-line above-ground gas pipelines located in the Arctic and intended for supplying fuel to certain regions is considered in the article. From the point of view of industrial safety, to describe the degree of danger of an accident during the operation of gas pipelines, the use of traditional risk indicators, such as individual, collective, and social risk, is not very informative, since the Arctic gas pipelines are laid in a sparsely populated area. Therefore, in this article it is proposed to use the conditional probability of an accident escalation, and, based on such an assessment, draw conclusions about the independence of gas supply along the individual lines. The calculations are made concerning the escalation of an accident to adjacent lines during depressurization of a typical above-ground multi-line main gas pipeline. The hazard of abnormal avalanche-like depressurization of a gas pipeline during its oscillations under the influence of reactive forces from outflowing jets is considered separately. Dependence is given related to the conditional probability of an accident escalation on the distance between the lines in the case of an avalanche-like destruction of an above-ground gas pipeline on the equipped supports. The method is developed to consider the specifics of the recipient gas pipeline when simulating its destruction under the influence of thermal radiation.

Distinct methane-dependent biogeochemical states in Arctic seafloor gas hydrate mounds

Archaea mediating anaerobic methane oxidation are key in preventing methane produced in marine sediments from reaching the hydrosphere; however, a complete understanding of how microbial communities in natural settings respond to changes in the flux of methane remains largely uncharacterized. We investigate microbial communities in gas hydrate-bearing seafloor mounds at Storfjordrenna, offshore Svalbard in the high Arctic, where we identify distinct methane concentration profiles that include steady-state, recently-increasing subsurface diffusive flux, and active gas seepage. Populations of anaerobic methanotrophs and sulfate-reducing bacteria were highest at the seep site, while decreased community diversity was associated with a recent increase in methane influx. Despite high methane fluxes and methanotroph doubling times estimated at 5–9 months, microbial community responses were largely synchronous with the advancement of methane into shallower sediment horizons. Together, these provide a framework for interpreting subseafloor microbial responses to methane escape in a warming Arctic Ocean.

Alaska’s North Slope May Yet See Its Renaissance in Arctic Exploration

It wasn’t too long ago that Arctic oil and gas exploration enjoyed celebrity status as the industry’s last frontier, chock full of gigantic unexplored hydrocarbon deposits just waiting to be developed. Fast forward and less than a decade later, the same climate change that made Arctic oil and gas more accessible has caused an about-face as governments and the world’s supranational energy companies rebrand and target control of greenhouse gases (GHG) to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Among countries with Arctic coastlines, Canada has focused its hydrocarbon production on its oil sands which sit well below the Arctic Circle; Greenland has decided to not issue any new offshore exploration licenses (https://jpt.spe.org/greenland-says-no-to-oil-but-yes-to-mining-metals-for-evs), and while Norway is offering licenses in its “High North,” the country can’t find many takers. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) reported that while 26 companies applied for licenses in 2013, this year’s bid round attracted only seven participants. Norway is Europe’s largest oil producer after Russia with half of its recoverable resources still undeveloped and most of that found in the Barents Sea where the NPD says only one oil field and one gas field are producing. That leaves Russia and the US—geopolitical rivals which are each blessed with large Arctic reserves and the infrastructure to develop those riches—but whose oil and gas industries play different roles in each nation’s economy and domestic political intrigues. Russia sees its Arctic reserves, particularly gas reserves, as vital to its national security, considering that oil and gas accounts for 60% of Russian exports and from 15 to 20% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), according to Russia’s Skolkovo Energy Centre. With navigation now possible year­round along the Northern Sea Route, Russia’s LNG champion and its largest independent gas producer, Novatek, is moving forward with exploration to expand its resource base and build infrastructure to ship product east to Asia and west to Europe. https://jpt.spe.org/russian­lng­aims­high­leveraging­big­reserves­and­logistical­advantages As a result, Russia’s state­owned majors—Rosneft, Gazprom, and Gazprom Neft—are lining up behind their IOC colleague as new investment in Arctic exploration and development is encouraged and rewarded by the Kremlin. In contrast, the American Petroleum Institute reports that the US oil and gas industry contributes 8% to US GDP, a statistic that enables the US to have a more diverse discussion than Russia about the role that oil and gas may play in any future energy mix. That is unless you happen to be from the state of Alaska where US Arctic oil and gas is synonymous with Alaskan oil and gas, and where the US Geological Survey estimates 27% of global unex­plored oil reserves may lie. Though Alaska is responsible for only 4% of US oil and gas production, those revenues covered two-thirds of Alaska’s state budget in 2020 despite the state’s decline in crude production in 28 of the past 32 years since it peaked at 2 million B/D in 1988, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Digital transformation of geo-information support for large gas projects in Arctic

Article present digital transformation results of geo-information support for large gas projects in Arctic within Industry 4.0 era under climate change and COVID-19. In study, there are used Foresight technologies, theory of decision making under uncertainties, risk management approach, methods of databases constructing in case of digital risk management platforms. Currently, the ways of geo-information support for large arctic gas projects have distinct features of digitalization with new concepts in data obtaining and presenting. In paper, preference is given to the use of digital risk management platforms, which integrate heterogeneous hardware and software resources with the use of web-technologies in distributed networks and wide application of cloud services. There is considered examples of different digital natural risk management platforms for large arctic gas projects. The presented research results have significant scientific noveltyδ can be used in training and educational purposes and can be useful for private investors, public environmental organizations of the civil sector and state environmental control bodies.

State support for petrochemicals and invenstments in Russian Arctic opens up new opportunities for the development of hydrocarbon resource base

The new vector of the energy policy of the Russian Federation, aimed at the development of non-resource exports, was supported in 2020 by the adoption of key federal laws that stimulate gas processing (ethane and LPG) and business activities in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. These changes are an incentive for the implementation of innovative projects with an expanded technological chain with the production of products with high added value. Arctic gas condensate fields in the Russian Federation are acquiring additional potential to significantly increase the value and monetize large-scale reserves, most of which are located in the YamaloNenets Autonomous District. Global trends confirm the relevance of the gas chemical direction – with the growth of global consumption, the need for final polymer products will increase, and with the new environmentally friendly energy transition, the share of gas will increase. The article presents a comprehensive analysis of trends in the development of the world market of gas and gas chemical products, the hydrocarbon resource base of the Russian Federation and changes in legislation. It is concluded that the enterprises of the Russian Federation have advantages for the implementation of gas chemical projects in the medium and long term in 2022-2030, especially in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.

The LNG Technology for the Development of the Arctic Gas Fields

The development of the Arctic offshore fields has difficulties today. The harsh climate and lack of infrastructure makes us look for rational ways to resolve the issue of hydrocarbon production in this place. One of the solutions is the construction of a floating LNG plant which can be operated in Arctic conditions. According to the experience of Arctic projects, a technology has been developed that can be helped with the implementation of projects both on the Arctic shelf and onshore. The technology, based on the nitrogen cycle, will be provided the highest liquefaction rate, a compact refrigeration unit with acceptable parameters for plant sea operation, low CAPEX and OPEX and safety at the production facility.

РАЗРАБОТКА КОНСТРУКЦИИ ОПОРЫ ДЛЯ ПОДЗЕМНОГО КРЕПЛЕНИЯ ТРУБОПРОВОДА В ЗОНАХ РАСПРОСТРАНЕНИЯ ОСТРОВНОЙ И ПРЕРЫВИСТОЙ МЕРЗЛОТЫ

Актуальность исследования обусловлена необходимостью разработки эффективных технологий для обеспечения сохранности проектного положения участков магистрального трубопровода в районахc несплошным характером распространения мерзлоты. Особую актуальность работа имеет с учетом активного освоения северных и арктических нефтегазоносных районов России.
 Цель: разработать проектное решение и конструкцию подземных опор для закрепления нетеплоизолированных участков газопровода в сезонно-тающих и многолетнемерзлых грунтах при островном характере мерзлоты. Объекты: магистральный трубопровод, закрепленный в мерзлых грунтах. Методы: анализ и систематизация российского и зарубежного опыта теоретических и практических исследований, аналитические расчеты и компьютерное моделирование с применением программного обеспечения ANSYS на основе современных положений строительной механики и теории упругости. Результаты. Рассмотрены существующие типы опор и подвесок трубопроводов в разрезе их применимости для целей крепления подземных участков нефте- и газопроводов в многолетнемерзлых и сезонно-тающих грунтах, в том числе в местах пересечения островной мерзлоты, ледяных линз и бугров пучения. По результатам выполненного анализа возможных нагрузок и ограничений уже существующих опорных конструкций трубопроводов при рисках всплытия и провисания подземных участков в протаявшей траншее предложена конструкция подземных анкерных опор и сделаны выводы о преимуществах их применения. Для расчета нагрузок и определения требуемых размеров и количества анкеров, сечений тросов растяжек и хомута для крепления трубопроводабыла разработана конечно-элементная модель, эффективность которой подтверждена аналитическим путем и экспериментально на разработанном испытательном стенде.

ТЕНДЕНЦИИ РАЗВИТИЯ НЕФТЕГАЗОВОГО РЫНКА И ОСНОВНЫЕ МЕРЫ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЙ ПОДДЕРЖКИ, НАПРАВЛЕННЫЕ НА РЕАЛИЗАЦИЮ АРКТИЧЕСКИХ НЕФТЕГАЗОВЫХ ПРОЕКТОВ

This article is devoted to the study of the main trends in the development of the oil and gas market, as well as the transfer of state support aimed at the implementation of Arctic oil and gas projects. The analysis showed that 2020 turned out to be extremely difficult for the oil and gas industry as a whole. The volumes of oil and natural gas production and consumption decreased, and due to a reduction in revenue, large domestic companies began to save on exploration drilling. Given the high level of «depletion» of oil reserves in traditional fields, with an increase in demand, in the short term, domestic oil companies will not be able to quickly increase production volumes and take advantage of favorable market conditions.

Dynamics of Environmental Responsibility of Oil and Gas Facilities in the Russian Arctic: Rating Approach for 2014—2019

The article is a continuation of several publications by the authors in the journal "Issues of Risk Analysis". It is aimed at identifying the dynamics of environmental responsibility of oil and gas industry facilities in the Russian Arctic using the rating approach for 2014—2019. The results of the rating analysis revealed the general and differentiated dynamics of greening of the Arctic oil and gas sector enterprises in three sections: management, operational and information. The leaders of the environmental rating were identified: Sakhalin energy (Sakhalin-2), LUKOIL, Gazprom, and Zarubezhneft.

ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКАЯ КОНЪЮНКТУРА ПОСТАВОКАРКТИЧЕСКОГО СЖИЖЕННОГО ПРИРОДНОГО ГАЗАВ СТРАНЫ АЗИАТСКО-ТИХООКЕАНСКОГО РЕГИОНАВ УСЛОВИЯХ ОКОНЧАНИЯ «ТОРГОВОЙ ВОЙНЫ» МЕЖДУ США И КИТАЕМ

Currently, the Asia-Pacific market is a priority goal for almost all major producers of liquefied natural gas(LNG). This is due to the relatively high price that local consumers are willing to pay, as well as the accelerated growth rate of natural gas consumption. At the same time, China is the main driver of growth in demand for LNGin the world, has concluded a trade agreement with the United States, which involves the purchase of energy resources worth more than $ 52 billion over two years. Given the decline in LNG prices, as well as increased competition, the issue of the prospects for sales of Russian Arctic gas on the market of the Asia-Pacific region becomes particularly relevant.The study provides a generalized assessment of the needs of the main importers of LNG ––China, South Korea and Japan, with a planning horizon of 4–5 years. The relatively high growth rates of the economy, partial rejection of nuclear energy, struggle to improve the environmental situation, as well as the desire to diversify supply routes explain the needs of the countries in the Asia-Pacific region for additional volumes of LNGin the near future. The analysis showed that both Japan and South Korea are interested in increasing the volume of imports of Russian arctic LNG, whose key advantages over most competitors are the price and relative proximity of sales markets. At the same time, the reduction in the number of operating gas drilling rigs in the United States indicates that it will not be possible to maintain the growth rate of LNG production at the level of 2018 and 2019.