Panelists talked about the science and safety concerns associated with oil exploration in ultradeepwater areas and in the arctic. The 14 producing oil fields comprised of five units and nine additional participating areas have physically altered 42 ha not including the transalaska pipeline by mining gravel and placing gravel fill. The earliest references to arctic exploration are shrouded in obscurity as a result both of inaccurate ideas of the shape of the earth and of primitive navigation techniques, which make it difficult to interpret early maps and accounts of voyages. Ultimate resources are estimated at 114 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 2000 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Pdf oil and gas production technology training manual. However, the public awareness of the arctic oil and natural gas reserves seems to be increasing. Jun 29, 2017 the white house is making a bid to overturn the obama administrations fiveyear plan forbidding oil and gas exploration in the arctic and atlantic oceans and will examine opportunities to drill. This paints a target on the arctic for exploration and development, especially with shorter seasons of ice coverage improving ocean access. This book provides an overview of the many issues relevant to offshore oil and gas development in the arctic. The book should be read by every petroleum geologist, geophysicist, and petroleum engineer. The arctic hosts large oil and natural gas resources both onshore and offshore.
What you need to know oil and gas exploration and production is an indispensable guide for everyday readers and industry members alike. The oil and gas industry has a long history of successful operations in arctic conditions enabled by continuing technology and operational advances. Oil has been used for lighting purposes for many thousands of years. An exploration well in the norwegian barents sea is used as a case to demonstrate how environmental risks are assessed together with technical and economic considerations in the oil companys decisions to enter into a new area and drill a well. Topics covered in this book include a brief historical background of arctic oil and gas development. Meanwhile, the areas for exploration and production are spread throughout the world. May 03, 2017 the barents enjoys a number of advantages over the u. Jul 16, 2019 shares of alphageo india, a service provider to oil exploration and production sector, was locked in upper circuit of 20 per cent at rs 792.
Increasing oil and gas exploration activities in the absence of sufficient baseline data in deepsea ecosystems has made environmental management challenging. The vast arctic region is probably the last remaining unexplored source of hydrocarbons on the planet. Exploration is the process of trying to find accumulations of oil and natural gas trapped under the earths surface. Greenlanders divided on arctic oil, gas exploration the fastchanging world is in cringing on the arctic. A significant incentive for oil exploration, albeit on less favourable terms. Offshore oil and gas development in the arctic under international law explores the international legal framework for hydrocarbon development in the marine. Building on the success of her first book mineral land rights. Offshore arctic oil and gas market report provides a detailed capital expenditure forecast for the oil and gas sector in the arctic region and analysis on offshore oil and gas developments within the arctic circle and in the three major sub arctic areas. They are costly, as the investments for exploration and production represent more than half of all investments in the oil and gas sector. These arctic explorers and their books are the real northpolar stars, according to john r. In overcoming the technical challenges of oil production in the arctic, are we making the most of a strategic resource or heading for an environmental and political minefield. International union for conservation of nature and natural resources oil industry international exploration and production forum. Most of the oil comes from the north slope, referring to the land adjacent to the chukchi and beaufort seas down to the brooks mountain range the area of land depicted on the map above. The prospects and challenges for arctic oil development.
Ultimate resources are estimated at 114 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 2000 trillion cubic feet of natural. The long road to russias first arctic oil production. The research says 12 gigatonnes of carbon could be. Pdf assessment of undiscovered oil and gas in the arctic. They are diverse because the detection of oil and gas involves input from many specialties, ranging from geology to reservoir engineering. Oil industry mobilization and demobilization alaska. Nov 01, 2015 if so far in the north, oil and gas extraction is not intended anyway and is not even allowed, at least so far, this operation was simply a waste of money, a speaker of the venstre said. Arctic oil spill response technology joint industry program. Thanks to the gulf stream, its largely icefree, unlike other areas. Cronin, in the natural history of an arctic oil field, 2000. The industrialization of the deep sea is expanding worldwide.
Greenlanders divided on arctic oil, gas exploration. At the same time, environmental risks and popular opposition to oil and gas activity in the arctic are factors that could undermine. Dimensions of oil and gas development in greenland the. A history of oil in the arctic today in alaska, the vast majority of oil from the states arctic region comes from onshore drilling wells. Crude oils and natural gases are mixtures of hydrocarbon molecules organic compounds of carbon and hydrogen atoms containing from 1 to 60 carbon atoms. Oil and gas exploration and production in arctic and. Topics included the arctic s geology and environment, the. They are complex, as shown by the development of the job of the petroleum architect, who coordinates all the operations. The production of arctic oil and gas contributes even more to the climate crisis through increased greenhouse gas emissions. Oil exploration in norwegian arctic faces sea of opposition.
The arctic is a cold, remote, dark, dangerous and expensive place to explore for oil and natural gas. Management systems and practices, technologies and procedures that prevent and minimize impact are described. The period of arctic exploration covers almost 2500 years, starting with the greek, pytheas of massalia marseilles in 320 b. The arctic includes 25 geologically defined regions that may contain up to 100 billion barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas, some in the form. Levonne louie has been an oil and gas industry professional for over thirtysix years. Oil and gas exploration and production, third edition. Oil and gas remains a vital source of global energy, providing 85% of total supply. These difficulties make the cost of oil exploration and production in the arctic to be. With the depletion of reserves onshore the search is. Oil and natural gas resources map of the arctic ocean. Sakhalin island, the jeanne darc basin offshore eastern canada and the cook inlet in alaska. In 2016, the government of canada, along with the united states, imposed a fiveyear moratorium on issuing new oil and gas licenses in the arctic ocean but operations can still proceed under the dozens of existing permits.
As a result, the region has received significant interest from the petroleum industry since the onset of the 2010s oil glut in 2014, the commercial interest in arctic exploration has. From the tip of the aleutians to the alaska interior, along the yukon river, and in development projects across the arctic, collectively the company has successfully provided services to several hundred sites. Apr 25, 2012 canada in the arctic arctic oil and gas. Geological survey estimates there may be 90 billion barrels of oil, 1,669 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 44 billion barrels of natural gas liquids in the arctic. The arctic environment poses some different challenges relative to other oil and gas production areas, but is generally well understood. Moreover, exploration is a risky activity, both from the technical and financial viewpoint. Arctic, where president donald trump is pushing to expand drilling. Challenges and responses it seems that despite the call for renewable energy there is continuous increase in the quest for oil and gas. Access to oil and natural gas resources is critical to supplying the energy needs of american consumers, business and homeowners. While advanced technologies are being vigorously pursued to allow for drilling the offshore in deeper waters, an alternate novel location for exploration and production is the arctic. This book provides a complete overview of the stakes and challenges involved in oil and gas exploration and production.
The arctic holds an estimated % 90 billion barrels of the worlds undiscovered conventional oil resources and 30% of its undiscovered conventional natural gas resources, according to an assessment conducted by the u. Prl logistics provides logistics management, transportation, and support to oil and gas exploration and drilling companies. The arctic s vast oil resource and the high price of oil are what currently attract attention to the arctic area. Production is the process of recovering those hidden resources for processing, marketing and use. Sep 07, 2017 oil exploration in norwegian arctic faces sea of opposition. Historically, we know the tales of eternal fires where oil and gas seeps ignited and burned. Offshore oil exploration, drilling and production can threaten the fish and marine mammals that indigenous peoples in the arctic rely on. Companies in the industry develop conventional and unconventional oil and gas reserves. It is the third deal rosneft has signed in the past month, after arctic exploration agreements with italys eni and us giant exxon mobil compared to other arctic oil states, norway is probably best equipped for oil spill preparedness in the arctic. History of arctic slope oil exploration journal article. Topics covered in this book include a brief historical background of arctic oil and. What are the pros and cons of oil and gas exploration in.
In recent years norway pushed forward the exploration of oil and gas fields in the north atlantic off lofoten and vesteralen and in the barents sea. Sparring with alaskas senator stevens, cantwell said in march 2005, we cant drill our way to energy independence in the. Denmark through greenland has not been a major player in hydrocarbon development. A history of oil in the arctic climate interpreter.
The book concludes with a glimpse of future oil and gas potential in arctic alaska. The publication surface operating standards and guidelines for oil and gas exploration and development commonly referred to as the gold book was developed to assist operators by providing information on the requirements for obtaining permit approval and conducting environmentally responsible oil and gas operations on federal lands and on private surface over federal minerals. When thinking about oil production, one tends to imagine countries of the middle east or the mexican gulf, but only rarely the regions beyond the arctic circle latitude 66. Environmental management in oil and gas exploration and. Offshore oil and gas governance in the arctic brookings institution. As reserves become limited, exploration is being undertaken in harsher, extreme environments such as the arctic circle, or even deeper waters such as off the coast of africa and gulf of mexico. Editorial for ogel special issues on offshore petroleum exploration and production.
Unfortunately, his writings have been lost and there is much speculation as to whether pytheas voyaged to iceland, the shetlands, or possibly. New developments and production outlook executive summary the steep oil price decline over the last quarter is having repercussionsboth good and badacross the globe. Banks vows to restrict loans for arctic oil and gas. Pdf declining arctic ocean oil and gas developments. Where the arctic oil industry is booming bloomberg. Oil and gas exploration and production in arctic and subarctic onshore regions.
Norways push for arctic oil and gas threatens paris. Gazprom neft, the oil arm of gas giant gazprom, said in its preliminary 2017 results at the end of december that its total oil and gas production had increased by 4. Reserves, activities, and disputes april 25, 2012 by kathrin stephen article, canada, natural resources and energy no comments the map shows canadas major petroleumproducing fields or pools of conventional natural gas, crude oil and the oil sands, as well as the extensive pipeline network. Most of the oil comes from the north slope, referring to the land adjacent to the chukchi and beaufort seas down to the brooks mountain range the area of. Chapter 75 oil exploration and drilling exploration, drilling and production of oil and natural gas. The steps that lead to the production of oil and gas are diverse, complex, and costly. Aug 17, 2011 greenlanders divided on arctic oil, gas exploration the fastchanging world is in cringing on the arctic. Probably the first to approach the arctic regions was a greek, pytheas, who in the 4th century bce made a. The arctic circle is about the same geographic size as the african continentabout 6% of earths surface areayet it holds an estimated 22% of earths oil and natural gas resources. Revenues from hydrocarbon production there account for about 85% of alaskas total unrestricted revenues and are building a fund in which all alaskans will share in the future.
Gazprom is the undisputed leader in arctic oil and gas production, followed, at a long distance, by two other russian firms, rosneft and novatek, globaldatas estimates show. For norway, natural gas exploration in the barents sea is crucial to maintain current levels of production in the future. Dec 19, 2012 arctic oil and gas development is often generalized into a twosided conflict between those who emphasize the protection of the environment and those who seek potential profits, with the interests of local communities variably used in favor of one or the other depending on the area of the region under question. One area known to offer vast reservesbut immense challengesis the arctic.
History of oil and gas development in the russian arctic. Maria cantwell dwa, has led the opposition to drilling in the senate, according to the seattle pi. Offshore hydrocarbon resources in the arctic february 2016 6. The worst journey in the world by apsley cherrygarrard, endurance. During its 50 year experiment in alaska, the industry has received a return. As a result, the region has received significant interest from the petroleum industry. However, recent technological developments, as well as relatively high oil prices, have allowed for exploration. Arctic oil and natural gas resources today in energy u. Norways plan to ramp up oil and gas production in the arctic threatens global efforts to tackle climate change, according to a new study. Companies are exploring for minerals and oil and gas reserves. The steps that lead to the production of oil and gas are diverse, complex and costly. This publication, prepared in cooperation with the oil industrys exploration production forum, sets out the oil exploration process, describes the potential environmental consequences of exploration and recommends measures for the prevention or minimization of adverse impacts. Chronology and comparison of oil and gas activity by the five arctic ocean nations relative to global oil solid line and gas dashed line prices 6,7.
The exploration of the arctic for petroleum is considered to be extremely technically challenging. The city of barow, the most northerly city in the us, is ground zero for the world. Frontiers environmental impacts of the deepwater oil. Currently, no offshore oil and gas drilling is taking place in the canadian arctic.
Polar exploration in the arctic and antarctic by guest blogger joann wasik at recently, i read a harrowing account of a doomed 1912 arctic expedition, where a ship seeking new hunting grounds became frozen in the pack ice of the kara sea. The report provides an overview of the environmental issues and the technical and management approaches to achieving high environmental performance in the activities necessary for oil and gas exploration and production. October 2014 the prospects and challenges for arctic oil development 2 between arctic states will be prerequisites for success. Crude oils and natural gases are mixtures of hydrocarbon molecules organic compounds of carbon and. Oil exploration and development on the north slope results in environmental change. Polar exploration in the arctic and antarctic weareteachers. Rosneft and statoil made the arctic exploration deal in may 2012. Decision on oil and gas exploration in an arctic area. Consideration of these resources as commercially viable is relatively recent despite the size of. Arctic oil and gas resources, provides additional detail and recommendations.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas in the arctic article pdf available in science 3245931. Shell plans to drill for oil just off the north coast of alaska, pulling the detonator on a carbon bomb. This nontechnical treatment is a great introduction to oil and gas production for anyone from beginning petroleum engineering and geology students to accountants, salespersons, and other professionals interested in the industry. Offshore oil and gas development in the arctic under international. The harrowing saga of shackletons ross sea party by kelly tylerlewis, the worst journey in the wo. Find the best stocks in oil and gas exploration and production united states. Oil prices had stagnated after crashing in 2014, and fracking was surging in texas, north dakota and other states, leaving the arctic as a side story for much of the industry. This paper addresses how risks to the environment in the arctic are handled in decisions regarding the exploration for petroleum resources. In recent decades, decreased summer sea ice has resulted in increased shipping traffic and may encourage more offshore oil and gas exploration.
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