THE STRATEGY OF THE MINERAL RESOURCE USE ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELF OF RUSSIA: THE NEAR-TERM OUTLOOK

摘要

The current state of the mineral resource use in the RF (Russian Federation) water areas. During the period from 1993 to 2002, 87 licenses for the right to use mineral resources of the RF water areas were issued. The licenses were distributed among 23 resource users, including four with participation or predominance of foreign capital (areas in the Caspian Sea and Sakhalin shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk). Of 64 licenses valid now 43 are for the geological study (valid for 5 years) and 21 for exploration and production (valid for 20-25 years). The territorial distribution of license sites is irregular: most of them are located in the Caspian and Barents Seas and the Sea of Okhotsk. This is well explained by the availability of real oil and gas reserves and resources, the relatively favorable geological location, the availability of the coastal infrastructure developed to different degrees. A certain recovery of interest in shelf areas adjoining Chukchi Peninsula and located in the Azov-Black Sea region has been observed recently.