VLADIVOSTOK, July 10. /TASS/. The Far Eastern Federal University in cooperation with Anchar Company suggests using an innovative technology of acoustic low-frequency oil and gas exploration for exploration of fields in the Arctic environment, department head of the University Alexander Gulkov told TASS on Wednesday.

Problems and prospects of oil and gas sector development of the Far East and East Siberia and offshore fields development issues are discussed at the East Russia Oil and Gas Forum opened on Wednesday.

"Development of Sakhalin’s offshore fields is complicated by unique severe ice conditions and requires huge costs," the researcher said. "Use of subsea production systems is the most promising in such environment but I regret saying these are import technologies normally. Two of such systems are currently operated on the offshore Sakhalin, serviced by foreign companies, and the nearest task is to switch to servicing by the Russian side. The University in cooperation with Anchar can offer the innovative technology of acoustic low-frequency oil and gas exploration for reduction of exploration costs in the Arctic environment," Gulkov said.

Offshore oil and gas fields generate ultrasonic noise as a result of earthquakes, the researcher said. The unique methodology makes it possible to capture such signals using sensors and a special station capable of operating under ice. The University has rich experience of developing such subsea robots having necessary characteristics and capable of working offshore.

Transportation

Development of oil and gas production is part and parcel of solving the issue of products transportation, the researcher said.

"The resource base is most frequently considered as East Siberia and the Far East taken together and comprises four oil and gas producing centers: Sakhalin, Yakutsk, Irkutsk, and Krasnoyarsk. Development of these centers goes hand in hand with construction of pipelines to supply hydrocarbons for domestic consumption and exports. The key specificity of fields is their remoteness, lack of infrastructure and severe climatic conditions, requiring huge capital expenditures and having high lifting cost of oil and gas," the expert noted.