its oil production still further. Oil reserve figures indicate
that Russia can be one of the world’s key oil producers
for at least the next 40 years.
Among the greatest uncertainties in future energy supply and a subject of considerable environmental concern
is the amount of oil and gas yet to be found in the Arctic
(Gautier et al. 2009). Further research and a better understanding of the complex geological configuration of the
Arctic is a prerequisite for reliable estimates of petroleum
resources. However, the geological conditions for petroleum generation are favorable in the Arctic realm
(Figure 2). A large majority of the undiscovered petroleum
resources are expected to be found on the shallow Arctic
shelves, well within the 200 nm exclusive economic zones
of the countries bordering the Arctic Ocean. As the Arctic
becomes more accessible, interest in its potential
resources is increasing – but as well the public concern
for the environmental consequences of petroleum exploration and production. When it becomes necessary to drill in
harsh and sensitive environments such as the Arctic
region, the costs of producing oil and gas are very high.
However, interest for petroleum exploration is enhanced
by estimates about how much oil and gas could be found
in the Arctic region. The most reliable results in forecasting offshore large fields are obtained when the geological
environment of a well-studied region onshore is extrapolated to the adjacent shelf area. By using a probabilistic
geology-based methodology, the United States Geological
Survey has assessed the entire area north of the Arctic
Circle and concluded that about 30 % of the world’s
undiscovered gas and 13 % of the world’s undiscovered
oil may be found there, mostly offshore under less than
500 m of water (Gautier et al., 2009).This assertion of
undiscovered Arctic reserves of 90 billion barrels of oil,
47 trillion (10
12 ) m
3 of natural gas, and 44 billion barrels
of natural gas liquids (NGLs) still remains unproven. But
there is no doubt that the resources are substantial in
a global context, and there is consensus that some ¾ of
these are expected to be natural gas.
Environmental impact of offshore petroleum
production
The production of natural resources is inherently associated with environmental risks. Minor oil spills are quite
common during oil production. On the other hand, there
are natural oil and gas seeps all over the ocean seafloor.
There is not a single oil field in the world that would be
completely leak-proof. In the Gulf of Mexico, naturally
seeping oil partly reaches the sea surface but is mainly
deposited on the seafloor. This enables the growth of three
Energy Resources, Figure 2 Geography and bathymetry of the Arctic region. Major sedimentary basins with hydrocarbon potential
(red shaded) are located within the exclusive economic zones of the Arctic countries. The sedimentary basins with hydrocarbon
potential are commonly located in less than 500 m water depth (modified after Grantz et al. 2011).
ENERGY RESOURCES
221
that Russia can be one of the world’s key oil producers
for at least the next 40 years.
Among the greatest uncertainties in future energy supply and a subject of considerable environmental concern
is the amount of oil and gas yet to be found in the Arctic
(Gautier et al. 2009). Further research and a better understanding of the complex geological configuration of the
Arctic is a prerequisite for reliable estimates of petroleum
resources. However, the geological conditions for petroleum generation are favorable in the Arctic realm
(Figure 2). A large majority of the undiscovered petroleum
resources are expected to be found on the shallow Arctic
shelves, well within the 200 nm exclusive economic zones
of the countries bordering the Arctic Ocean. As the Arctic
becomes more accessible, interest in its potential
resources is increasing – but as well the public concern
for the environmental consequences of petroleum exploration and production. When it becomes necessary to drill in
harsh and sensitive environments such as the Arctic
region, the costs of producing oil and gas are very high.
However, interest for petroleum exploration is enhanced
by estimates about how much oil and gas could be found
in the Arctic region. The most reliable results in forecasting offshore large fields are obtained when the geological
environment of a well-studied region onshore is extrapolated to the adjacent shelf area. By using a probabilistic
geology-based methodology, the United States Geological
Survey has assessed the entire area north of the Arctic
Circle and concluded that about 30 % of the world’s
undiscovered gas and 13 % of the world’s undiscovered
oil may be found there, mostly offshore under less than
500 m of water (Gautier et al., 2009).This assertion of
undiscovered Arctic reserves of 90 billion barrels of oil,
47 trillion (10
12 ) m
3 of natural gas, and 44 billion barrels
of natural gas liquids (NGLs) still remains unproven. But
there is no doubt that the resources are substantial in
a global context, and there is consensus that some ¾ of
these are expected to be natural gas.
Environmental impact of offshore petroleum
production
The production of natural resources is inherently associated with environmental risks. Minor oil spills are quite
common during oil production. On the other hand, there
are natural oil and gas seeps all over the ocean seafloor.
There is not a single oil field in the world that would be
completely leak-proof. In the Gulf of Mexico, naturally
seeping oil partly reaches the sea surface but is mainly
deposited on the seafloor. This enables the growth of three
Energy Resources, Figure 2 Geography and bathymetry of the Arctic region. Major sedimentary basins with hydrocarbon potential
(red shaded) are located within the exclusive economic zones of the Arctic countries. The sedimentary basins with hydrocarbon
potential are commonly located in less than 500 m water depth (modified after Grantz et al. 2011).
ENERGY RESOURCES
221