Behind the recent acceleration of the Arctic oil and gas development in Russia: Potential, ongoing projects and challenges

Abstract The Arctic is the last potential source of hydrocarbon left on Earth which makes it a quite attractive area for oil and gas company expansion and development. However, this development cannot proceed without the support from the Russian government. There are non-negligible risks which canno...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polar Record
Main Author: Harada, Daisuke
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247420000091
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247420000091
Description
Summary:Abstract The Arctic is the last potential source of hydrocarbon left on Earth which makes it a quite attractive area for oil and gas company expansion and development. However, this development cannot proceed without the support from the Russian government. There are non-negligible risks which cannot be evaluated by pure economics as well as various challenges that must be overcome. This commentary will explore those risks and challenges and evaluate the recent acceleration of Arctic oil and gas development in Russia. It will also set the stage where the discussion on the sustainability of Russian Arctic resource development should be focused.