Sanghee Shin

The Oil and Gas Potential of the Eurasian Western Arctic Shelf

Abstract Four oil and gas generation intervals of different ages are identified in the Barents-Kara region. A number of large and unique oil and gas fields 1 have already been discovered and partially appraised. Besides those, three potential hydrocarbon areas, still insufficiently studied, are identified within the subject area. If significant commercial fields are discovered there, the hydrocarbon potential of the region will be substantially increased. These potential hydrocarbon areas are the northern extremity of Murmansk District in the Rybachy Peninsula, Franz-Joseph Land Archipelago, and the North-Kara Shelf. The highest potential exists in the former two of these areas. Gas-hydrate abiogenic deposits are also discussed. 1According to the official Russian classification, the fields are classified as unique if their oil/gas reserves exceed 300 MMT/500 BCM, and as large if their oil/gas reserves are 30 to 300 MMT/30 to 500 BCM. The “reserves” are usually understood to actually be original oil-in-place and original gas-in-place and not the recoverable amounts.

Geodynamic Evolution of Oil and Gas Basins in the European Part of the Eurasian Arctic Shelf

Abstract Eighty percent of the worlds oil/gas reserves are associated with the lithospheric plate subduction zones. Extensive exploration for oil and gas is being conducted in the Arctic. Four oil-generating time intervals were identified within the Arctic Shelf. Oil and gas potential estimates of the western Russian Arctic directly depend on its geodynamic evolution. This article reviews the regions multi-stage evolution and substantiates space-time patterns in the interaction of the geodynamic processes causing the generation of depositional environments in sedimentary complexes of shelf marine basins.