Russia has been present in the Arctic region for centuries. With the development of transport and other infrastructure resources, there was a gradual development of the Arctic. The USSR concentrated its efforts mainly on the implementation of local projects for the development of individual deposits. Now the Russian authorities are making active attempts to significantly increase the dynamics of using the region's resources.
There are reasons for that. Among those noted by experts are some improvement in climatic conditions (when more territories became available), global processes in the world economy that require the use of additional transport routes, which may include northern highways. The problems of the development of the Arctic are quite diverse - these are ecology, politics, and socio-economic aspects. But the prospects for work in this direction, according to experts, are very significant.
Development
The history of Arctic exploration is especially fascinating. The first information about the region in Russian sources dates back to the 10th century. Especially active was the development of territories that are now commonly referred to as the Northern Sea Route. In the 16th century, the Pomors managedget to the mouth of the Ob, and then - to the Yenisei, Lena. Meanwhile, there is evidence that human exploration of the Arctic actually dates back to ancient times, from the Stone Age. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Russian navigators managed to discover the main part of the Arctic coastline, thus opening the way to the Pacific Ocean.
In the middle of the 18th century, researchers of the Great Northern Expedition led by Vitus Bering worked on the coast of the Arctic. Scientists were able to compile the most valuable cartographic and hydrographic material. At the beginning of the 19th century, Russian navigators continued to actively explore the Arctic. Some expeditions also involved foreign researchers. So, for example, in 1873, the archipelago, called Franz Josef Land, was discovered by sailors from Austria-Hungary. In 1878-1879, the researchers from the joint Swedish-Russian sea expedition on the ship "Vega" passed the Northern Sea Route from beginning to end. In 1899, the legendary icebreaker "Ermak" was built, which made it possible to establish communication between various regions of the north of Russia. The development of the Arctic went on step by step in the 20th century. Despite the difficult times after the October Revolution, in the 1920s, several structures were created at once, the task of which was to further study the region. In 1923-1933, in the areas adjacent to the Arctic Ocean, Russian and then Soviet researchers built 19 weather stations. The Russian North was also actively explored in the 1930s.
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War researchThe Arctic was temporarily stopped, but the infrastructure of the region, created in previous years, made a significant contribution to the victory. In the years after the war, Soviet researchers began to visit the Northern Sea Route again. In the regions adjacent to the Arctic, deposits of oil, gas, gold, and diamonds were developed. The infrastructure of cities developed, new settlements were built, large industrial facilities appeared. The history of the development of the Arctic in the Soviet period was characterized by the implementation of such large-scale and fundamentally significant projects that modern Russia still uses both the infrastructure and the scientific heritage of that time. At the same time, our country faces new challenges in the development of the region.
Global Significance
Interest in the Arctic is experienced not only by Russia. The main reason that this part of the world attracts the attention of states from virtually all surrounding continents is its enormous natural we alth. At least four other countries, besides Russia, claim to develop the Arctic - these are the USA, Canada, Norway and Denmark. Each of the countries somehow has sea access to this macro-region.
Resources of the Russian Arctic
Significant areas of the continental part of the Arctic belong to Russia. There are unique oil and gas fields here, and our country is already starting to implement the first stages in their development. This can be observed, in particular, on the example of a decent pace of housing construction in those regions that are adjacent to the Arctic shelf - so that future researchersmacro-region and labor collectives were able to settle near promising facilities. In the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug alone, hundreds of thousands of square meters of residential areas are being built. The transport infrastructure is also being improved.
Immediate goals
What are the next stages, within which the development of the Arctic by Russia will be carried out? The greatest activity of researchers and entrepreneurs from our country is expected in the direction of the development of the Bovanenkovskoye oil and gas field, located in the Yamal-Nenets region. According to some experts, this will largely determine the prospects for economic development in this part of Russia.
It is planned that the federal authorities of the Russian Federation will spend about 630 billion rubles on the development of the Arctic until 2020. About 50 billion is also expected to be attracted from regional budgets. These figures are provided by the state program for the development of the Arctic, however, their value may be revised. The purpose of the corresponding program is the integrated development of the entire Arctic region.
Geographically, it is customary to rank the coastal and shelf zones of such subjects as the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Yakutia, and the Chukotka Autonomous District as part of the Russian Arctic. The resource potential of the region, according to the authorities, is huge. But its practical implementation requires significant efforts related to solving environmental and foreign policy issues. Development of transport, energy infrastructure, tourism, promising areas, suchsuch as the development of the Arctic shelf, are very resource-intensive areas of activity.
Natural resources of Yamal
Already now the Yamal region is one of the key ones for the Russian gas industry. More than 80% of our gas is produced at current fields. The total reserves of blue fuel in Yamal are trillions of cubic meters. There is also oil here - its reserves are estimated at about 200 million tons. Public and private structures plan to actively develop infrastructure capable of providing gas transit from Yamal.
Gas infrastructure
Among the priority areas in the construction of infrastructure in Yamal is the production of liquefied natural gas. First of all, this is a plant near the village of Sabetta, which is being built by NOVATEK. The expected capacity of this enterprise is about 15 million tons. It is planned to build an airport and a large seaport near the plant. As expected, the main field on the basis of which the enterprise will operate is Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye, which is considered the largest in Yamal. Its reserves are 1.3 trillion cubic meters of gas. There is information that the implementation of this project will be largely focused on foreign markets. The planned date for putting the plant into operation is 2016.
North Latitudinal Movement
Development of the Arctic by Russia, of course, is not limited to activities in the gas industry. Among the noteworthy areas is the construction of a promising sea route - the Northern Latitudinal Way. The composition of this sea route is expected to include suchports like Salekhard, Nadym, Novy Urengoy. The implementation of the program for the construction of this sea route is connected with the need to provide communication between different parts of the Arctic macroregion.
Railway infrastructure
The development of the Arctic is accompanied by the construction of new railway networks in the region. This is especially important, in particular, for the development of oil and gas condensate fields, as well as from the point of view of the socio-economic development of the Yamalo-Nenets region as a whole. It is planned to build a junction railway station Obskaya-2, laying tracks that will connect Salekhard with sections of the Northern Railway. It is planned to build a bridge across the Ob. These facilities are expected to be commissioned in 2015.
Oil infrastructure
Transportation of oil from Yamal and other fields of the macroregion requires the development of appropriate infrastructure. Among the priority objects is the oil pipeline "Pur-Pe" - "Samotlor". Its uniqueness lies in its geographical location. It is the northernmost of the main oil pipelines of the Russian Federation. The purpose of its construction is to increase the volume of oil transported from the Arctic and Siberia to the European part of the Russian Federation with export prospects.
Power infrastructure
The development of the Arctic requires the introduction of electric power infrastructure facilities. Among the key ones is the Polyarnaya power plant. Its construction was completed in 2011. The installed capacity of the station is 268 MW. Polyarnaya largely contributes to the establishment of an uninterrupted supply of electricity to industries concentrated in Yamal, as well as to residents of the region's cities, and makes it possible to replace obsolete boiler houses that are used in settlements. At the same time, a subsequent reduction in electricity and heat tariffs for residents of Yamal is expected.
Gas processing
It is assumed that the extraction and transportation of raw materials in Yamal should also be supplemented by processing industries. In particular, adapted to the use of the so-called associated gas. The fact is that this type of raw material can be the basis for the extraction of light hydrocarbons. They, in turn, can be used by chemical industry enterprises for the production of rubber, detergents, etc. Among the key industrial infrastructure facilities in the Arctic region is a gas processing complex in Noyabrsk, as well as a similar enterprise in the city of Gubkinsky.
Wind energy
Developed by the Russian authorities and corporations, the strategy for the development of the Arctic also includes the development of alternative methods of generating electricity. In this direction, we can note the work on the construction of wind farms. According to one of the current projects, the region has optimal climatic resources for the successful practical implementation of projects related to the development of alternative energy sources. At the same time, the wind farms that are planned to be built do not require the development of anyfundamentally new technological solutions - everything you need is already on the market. It is possible to introduce relevant developments - the economic feasibility of their implementation has been proven. The government of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug declared its readiness to be one of the investors in projects of this kind.
Tourism
The development of the Russian Arctic is expected not only in terms of industrial development, but also in a slightly different way - by tourists. Now the number of enthusiasts who have decided to visit Yamal as part of a hike is not so much. At the same time, the potential for the development of the relevant industry in the region is significant. This is expressed in many aspects. Firstly, Yamal has the most beautiful nature. Secondly, the indigenous peoples of Russia live here, whose culture, way of life and hospitality give a special flavor to the region. Thirdly, Yamal is a great place for outdoor enthusiasts.
We would like to note again that the Government of Yamal has declared its interest in the development of the tourism industry. The plans of the authorities are to promote the development of the infrastructure necessary for travelers, as well as support for entrepreneurs involved in attracting tourists to the region. Some experts believe that Yamal, like other regions of the Arctic, is promising in terms of the development of cruise travel.
Environmental
What are the main problems, without the solution of which the successful development of the Russian Arctic may be difficult? At the beginning of the article, we noted that among the areas that require increasedattention, - ecology. Among the areas of work that need to be implemented in the near future is the cleanup of the Arctic in those regions where environmental risks are most visible.
Oil price factor
According to one version, the world economy is entering a phase of relatively low oil prices. Can this circumstance become a negative factor in terms of the development of the Arctic? Many experts believe that the cost of oil and gas production in the region is such that even with the current not the highest world prices for black gold, the corresponding type of economic activity will remain profitable.
