It's tough at the top

摘要

Though there may be vast, technically recoverable oil and gas reservesrnbeneath the sea north of the Arctic Circle there are enormous challenges to be considered when operatingrnthere, such as the harsh environment and the dangers posed by hidden seabed geological hazards.rnGeohazard surveys are standardrnpractice prior to offshore drilling in all seas as they detect the presence of shallow gas-bearing formations, active faulting and potential hydrate zones, but the presence of permafrost under the seabed in this region -which could create unstable foundation conditions for natural gas production and gas rigs - poses an additional difficulty for operators.