Russia Region
The Russia Federation is rich in energy resources, containing globally significant hydrocarbon provinces that host the largest known reserves of natural gas of any nation state. As a transition fuel, natural gas has the potential to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions if used in place of other fossil fuels, especially coal. As a consequence, Russia will inevitably continue to play a major role in energy production as the world transitions to a lower carbon energy future. The sheer size of Russia and the variety of its geology means that ongoing geological fieldwork and research will be needed to support hydrocarbon production and exploration.
Map of Region
History of Research
Research in this area started during the early to mid 1970s on what was then the Soviet Union. The focus at the time was on the Russian Arctic, and the research was based on western and Russian literature. Since the late 1990s, fieldwork has been carried out in Timan-Pechora, Pai-Khoi, Taimyr, Novaya Zemlya, the Polar Urals, West Siberia, the Siberian platform, Sakhalin, the Amur region, as well as the Black Sea. Considerable emphasis has been placed on collaborative research with Russian scientists.
Key Geological Topics Covered
Work on Russia has focused on six areas: the Russian Far East, the Russian Arctic, the Siberian Platform, West Siberia, European Russia and the Eastern Barents Shelf. Regional syntheses, reconnaissance and targeted fieldwork and sample analyses have helped to constrain the geological evolution of the regions in question and provide insights into critical aspects of their petroleum systems. Further details of geological topics can be found through the links to specific areas.
Active Research Projects
- Barents Shelf Provenance Project 2017-2019
- Black Sea Project 2016-2018
- Black Sea Project 2019-2021
- Uralian Provenance Project 2017-2019
Most Recent Reports
- Stratigraphy, sedimentology and multiproxy provenance analysis of Triassic infill of the Bol’shaya Synya Basin: foreland basin to the Subpolar Urals CASP.UPP2017-19.8
- Investigating the potential of epidote geochemistry for sedimentary provenance studies: a case study of Triassic sandstones from the Korotaikha and Bol’shaya Synya basins, Polar to Subpolar Urals, Russia CASP.UPP2017-19.7
- Multiproxy provenance study of Late Carboniferous to Permian sedimentary infill of the foreland basin to the Polar and Subpolar Urals CASP.UPP2017-19.6
- Pilot study of Early Campanian sandstone provenance, Usa River, Polar Urals, Russia CASP.UPP2017-19.5
- Petrography and conventional heavy mineral analysis of Permian strata from the southern Kos’yu-Rogov Basin and Bol’shaya Synya Depression CASP.UPP2017-19.4