RUSSIAN FEDERATION: Draft Strategy for the Development and Exploration of Oil and Gas Resources of Russia’s Continental Shelf until 2020

Meta Data
Title in national language: 
Проект Стратегии изучения и освоения нефтегазового потенциала континентального шельфа Российской Федерации на период до 2020 г.
Draft: 
Yes
Revision of previous policy?: 
No
Draft Year: 
2006
Effective Start Year: 
2006
Scope: 
National
Document Type: 
Plan/Strategy
Economic Sector: 
Energy
Energy Types: 
Oil, Gas
Issued by: 
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation
Notes: 
No official English version available
Source: 
Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation (RU)
File: 
Draft Strategy for the Development and Exploration of Oil and Gas Resources of Russia’s Continental Shelf until 2020 (RU)
Overall Summary: 
The Draft Strategy on the Development and Exploration of Oil and Gas Resources was drafted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment with a view to steer the Russian Federation to a more sustainable energy future. In response to crucial issues of environmental protection and depletion of natural resources, the policy sets out broad strategic goals, including improving Russia’s presence on global hydrocarbon markets, ensuring the sustainable and robust development of the fuel and energy sector, strengthening regulatory frameworks for the use of shelf resources in the country, and facilitating industrial development through accelerated deployment of advanced technology. Despite national policies on environmentally sound exploration of natural resources have been pursued in a comprehensive and vigorous way, problems that Russia’s energy sector is confronting remain multiple and interconnected. ----- As global energy markets are teetering on the brink of downturn while the exploitation of Russian mineral base was relatively intense over several decades, the policy calls for redesigning conventional strategies on the development of mineral resources with due consideration of new challenges and uncertainties. The development of the offshore oil and gas sectors will bring numerous economic and social benefits, will contribute to strengthening energy security in the Russian Federation.
Efficiency
EE priorities: 
Art.1. It is underscored that the exploration of the continental shelf might contribute towards improved energy efficiency along with advancing high-technology industrial sectors.
Environment
Energy environmental priorities: 
The policy elaborates on options to maintain and enhance competitiveness of the fuel and energy sector simultaneously addressing existing environmental challenges. Of particular concern are the issues of biodiversity preservation and prevention of environmental damage associated with geological works, transportation of oil and gas and related accidental oil spills. ----- There’s also a need for strengthening environmental monitoring system on the basis of existing instruments.
Energy Supply and Infrastructure
Infrastructure development priorities: 
The Strategy highlights main infrastructural gaps and points out that the critical element to promote connectivity at the national and regional levels is to facilitate the development of shelf oil and gas infrastructure (petroleum producing complexes in costal areas).
Investment
Energy sector investment priorities: 
In the mid- and long-run, hydrocarbon reserves of the continental shelf will represent a considerable part of national oil and gas resources, still, lack of sufficient financing and investment will remain the major barrier impeding growth of the sector. Investment inflows are restrained due a number of factors, including in particular, high investment risks, lack of infrastructural capacities, inadequate fiscal incentives, and risks associated with harsh climatic conditions. In this context, the Strategy emphasizes the need for innovative sources of development finance. ----- Expected outcomes: guarantees increase for return on investment into exploration activities thereby making the sector more attractive to investors.
Governance
National policy structure: 
Legal frameworks for the development and exploration of Russia’s continental shelf are set by the present policy document, the Marine Doctrine of the Russian Federation until 2020, Principles of State Policy on the Use of Mineral and Subsoil Resources, and the Energy Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2030.
Technology
Clean energy technology deployment: 
It is of utmost importance to devise appropriate regulatory and institutional frameworks to better respond to clean technology advancement and address investment issues. ----- A pervasive argument throughout the document is that a long-term strategy on the exploration of continental shelf resources has to be elaborated with due consideration of technological modernization of the industry.