If you cannot find what you are looking for, contact the oil and gas resources branch. Obama withdraws parts of atlantic, arctic from oil exploration. Ultimate resources are estimated at 114 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 2000 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The honorable lisa murkowski, chair the honorable maria. Protecting americas arctic on the beaufort and chukchi seas on alaskas arctic coast, sea ice meets the northern edge of the continent and animals. The companies hold leases that expire over the next six years. Offshore hydrocarbon resources in the arctic february 2016 6. Norway sued over arctic oil exploration plans the guardian. Activities in the early decades of arctic oil and gas exploration. Areas of good performance areas for improvement canada continues to designate protected. October 2014 the prospects and challenges for arctic oil development 2 between arctic states will be prerequisites for success.
Greenlanders divided on arctic oil, gas exploration. Drilling for oil in the arctic 3 preface this report examines the gap that exists between the growing threat of a major oil spill in the arctic and the capacity that exists to respond to it. October 2014 the prospects and challenges for arctic oil development ii acknowledgements we would like to thank our colleagues in oxford and oslo for their help with this research. At the same time, environmental risks and popular opposition to oil and gas activity in the arctic are factors that could undermine. A history of oil in the arctic climate interpreter. Geological surveys usgs 1998 petroleum assessment of the arctic refuge coastal plain, and the usgss 1998 report on the oil and gas resource potential of the arctic refuges.
The vast arctic region is probably the last remaining unexplored source of hydrocarbons on the planet. Proposed rule for oil and gas exploration drilling. Denmark through greenland has not been a major player in hydrocarbon development. Shell drilling efforts in the beaufort and chukchi seas 14. 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. Compared to other parts of the world, the level of exploration in the arctic has, by all accounts, been modest but more than sufficient to indicate rich deposits of various resources, including oil and gas.
Mounting an effective response to a major oil spill in the arctic is presently not possible due to. Arctic oil exploration contract with russias stateowned energy giant rosneft. Arctic oil and natural gas potential alaska resources library. Greenland, it is important that the oil industry is responsible for a large part of the overall exploration activities. Responsible arctic region stewardship this dimension of us strategy focusses on natural and human resource management and use. This paints a target on the arctic for exploration and development, especially with shorter seasons of ice coverage improving ocean access. Department of the interior bureau of ocean energy management bureau of safety and environmental enforcement herndon, va. It competed with several international oil companies including chinas cnpc for the deal. In particular we are very grateful for the support and comments provided by bassam fattouh and arild moe. In order to test the possibility of expanding the oil and gas exploration season for the north slope, the study analyzed the changes on tundra test plots as various vehicles were driven on the plots during various stages of tundra freeze up and snow conditions. Rather, arctic resource development is both highcost and highrisk. The csis energy and national security program hosted the final session in its impacts of the gulf oil spill series, which evaluated the development of arctic oil and gas resources.
Where the arctic oil industry is booming bloomberg. Originally set aside by president dwight eisenhower in 1960, the arctic. Canada rules out arctic oil drilling extensions for exxon. The united states geological survey estimates that over 87% of the arctics oil and natural gas resource about 360 billion barrels oil equivalent is located in seven arctic basin provinces. Submit oil spill response plans tailored to arctic conditions. The cleanup efforts surrounding the deepwater horizon accident demonstrated the oil industry struggled to contain and remove an offshore oil spill.
The norwegian government is being sued by climate activists over a decision to open up areas of the arctic ocean for oil exploration, a move they say endangers the lives of existing and future. Popular discourse, alongside a multitude of research and policy documents. The oil and gas resources of the arctic region represent one of the most promising, largely untapped hydrocarbon resources in the world. If shell finds oil, it and other oil companies will return to the arctic for additional exploration in the future. The oil ministry is offering 93 blocks in the barents sea, entirely in the. This report is also published as electronic documents, available from the amap website at. Arctic oil spill response technology joint industry program.
Arctic oil and gas 5 the quest for arctic oil and gas resources is not for the faint of heart, nor for those with lessthandeep pockets. The quest for arctic oil norway pushes east in barents oil exploration the norwegian government plans to expand oil drilling in the norwegian and barents seas. However, given ongoing arctic oil and gas exploration and increases in marine shipping, canada will need to balance these developments with greater preparedness for oil spills and efforts to reduce risks to arctic coastal and marine ecosystems. Background regarding shells arctic exploration program 10 1. Spill response in the arctic offshore 1 introduction recent years have seen increasing interest in offshore oil exploration in the arctic and other frontier regions. Drilling in this region presents infrastructural, technological and environmental. Norway opens up record 93 blocks for arctic oil exploration. These satellite images of a small part of the arctic national wildlife refuge show the site of what, so far, is the only oil well ever drilled in the refuge, an exploratory well known as kic1. Greenlanders divided on arctic oil, gas exploration the fastchanging world is in cringing on the arctic. The osrr projects are examples of how bsee has and continues to address the ongoing operational and environmental concerns associated with energy exploration and exploitation in. While these activities may seem like new developments, arctic oil exploration and in some cases production has been taking place for many years in these regions. For norway, natural gas exploration in the barents sea is crucial to maintain current levels of production in the future.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas in the arctic article pdf available in science 3245931. Proposed rule for oil and gas exploration drilling activities on the arctic outer continental shelf for 30 cfr parts 250, 254, and 550. Canada, denmark including greenland, finland, iceland, norway, russia, sweden, and. Horizontal drilling increases the production rate of a well because it has greater surface area and because it allows access to oil miles away and in. Presentations discussing potential petroleum resources, exploration and development on the arctic refuge are available from the following web pages and pdf files. Offshore oil and gas governance in the arctic brookings institution. Pdf assessment of undiscovered oil and gas in the arctic. Geological survey study estimated the recoverable oil resources of. Transportation of oil, gas, and refined products 16. 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.
Norway has infuriated environmental groups by opening up a record number of blocks in the arctic for oil exploration. For all these reasons, we oppose oil and gas exploration, development and production on the coastal plain of the arctic refuge. Shell plans to drill for oil just off the north coast of alaska, pulling the detonator on a carbon bomb. Specific numbers came from the excel spreadsheet file associated with the. Of the 33 arctic sedimentary provinces that the usgs evaluated, 25 were found to have a greater than 10% probability of having oil or gas deposits larger than. Amerasian basin, arctic alaska basin, east barents basin, east greenland rift basin, west greenlandeast canada basin, west siberian basin, and the yenisey. As bernadette demientieff, executive protecting this place. Environmental protection agency eppr emergency, prevention, preparedness, and response arctic council. We study unilateral strategies by climateconcerned arctic countries to deter extraction by others.
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. Therefore, an important strategic goal is to encourage interest from the industry in investing in oil exploration in greenland. The 19 million acre arctic national wildlife refuge is one of the wildest places left on the planet. Oil exploration and sea ice projections in the arctic. With the oil industry barely recovering from its most brutal slump in decades, you might expect the arctic ocean to be the last place explorers would hunt for new discoveries. Since 1991, when the national energy board took over the regulations of oil and gas exploration and production activities in this area, the only offshore well that has been drilled in canadas arctic is. Within ten years, we could see the beginning of oil production that could last.
Heres what oil drilling looks like in the arctic refuge. Oil and gas activities to the present arctic portal library. The prospects and challenges for arctic oil development. The arctic zone that obama has withdrawn from oil leasing includes most of the chukchi sea and beaufort sea, and now totals 125 million acres. Companies are exploring for minerals and oil and gas reserves.
The north slope oil field lies close to the arctic coast of alaska. As a product of these partnerships, over 40 percent of these projects were jointly funded. Much has been found and exploited but much more remains to be. But the regions ecosystem is actually one of the most fragile, and it is facing quick deterioration from manmade intrusions such as mining, oil. 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. Request pdf oil exploration and sea ice projections in the arctic the aim of this study is to investigate how reduction in the sea ice cover may affect oil activity in the arctic during the. The arctic supports an extraordinary diversity of species and a vibrant subsistence culture, but new offshore drilling prospects in the arctic ocean bring the threat of a devastating oil spill. According to arctic power, an organization devoted to oil exploration in the arctic national wildlife refuge, horizontal drilling techniques have revolutionized the drilling process in the region. Oil and gas exploration and production in arctic and subarctic onshore regions. The exploration of the arctic for petroleum is considered to be extremely technically challenging. However, recent technological developments, as well as relatively high oil prices, have allowed for exploration. The city of barow, the most northerly city in the us, is ground zero for the world. Exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in greenland. Akg288100 for oil and gas exploration facilities on the outer continental shelf in the chukchi sea, alaska chukchi gp.
This means the waters surrounding alaska hold about 33% of all technically recoverable oil in the arctic, the largest of any other arctic country. Ice roads and ice pads provide a cost effective means of oil and gas exploration on alaskas north slope with minimal impact. Oil and natural gas resources map of the arctic ocean. Find our resources, procedures and other information about oil and gas exploration in yukon. Arctic oil and gas development center for strategic and. The greenland history of petroleum exploration activities dates back to. 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. Comparing the offshore drilling regulatory regimes of the. Russias offshore arctic oil exploration is sanctioned. To protect water quality and human health, the gps regulate the discharge of pollutants from oil and gas exploration facilities to waters of the united states.
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