KAMINSKY V.D., SUPRUNENKO O.I., SUSLOVA V.V.
VNIIOkeangeologya, Russia

Within the limits of a continental shelf of the Russian Federation the Arctic sector occupies the first place both in respect to its dimension and the initial total resources of hydrocarbons, which are about 75-80 % of the total resources of the Russian shelf. Tremendous estimated as billions tons in an oil equivalent, resources are supposed to be present in sedimentary basins of a continental slope and continental rise of the Arctic Ocean, part from which is continuation of shelf basins.

The Arctic continental margin is dividable in 4 parts with respect to the level of study: 1) rather well investigated southern areas of Barents and Kara seas where a number oil, condensate and gas fields, including unique ones, were discovered; 2) investigated with rare seismic profiles northern areas of Barents and Kara seas and the western part of Laptev Sea; 3) the insufficiently studied East Siberian sea with adjacent areas of Laptev and Chukchi Seas; 4) a continental slope and rise whose study has been just started. The validity of quantitative estimations of oil-and-gas resources of these four parts of the margin is in direct dependence on a level of study.

Process of licensing is really being carried out in the seas of the western Arctic sector (Barents and Kara seas with bays and gulfs). According to last changes in the Russian legislation, the license on exploration and production works on the Arctic shelf in future can receive only the government owned companies: Open Society «Gazprom» and Open Society «Rosneft», which prepared offers on licensing sites on the a shelf for 2008-10 and 2011-20 years.

According to plans of Federal Subsoil Resources Management Agency, in the nearest years regional study of northern areas of Barents and Kara seas will be completed financed from federal budget, the study of Laptev Sea is continued and seismic works in East Siberian Sea have been started. Absence of stratigraphic drilling in the complex of regional works remains their main defect.

The investors the principal of which is Open Society «Gazprom», plan to begin development of Prirazlomnoye oil field and Shtokman gas-condensate field about 2010 and in 2013 accordingly. The global economic crisis, obviously, can affect to these plans slowing down rates of development of oil-and-gas resources of the Arctic shelf of Russia.

Oil and gas of Arctic shelf 2008