The disputation will be digital and streamed directly using Zoom. You can download zoom or use your browser.
Information around the trial lecture
Adjudication committee
- Professor Knut Kaasen, University of Oslo (Head of committee)
- Associate professor Kristoffer Svendsen, University of Stavanger (1. opponent)
- Professor Elena Novikova, Lomonosov Moscow State University (2. opponent
Chair of defence
Vice dean Ragnhild Hennum
Supervisors
- Professor Erik Røsæg
- Professor Ola Mestad
Summary
The Russian continental shelf includes vast potential areas in the Barents Arctic to be explored. In line with the emergent interest of oil and gas companies to survey the new frontiers, concern over their possible devastating impact is growing in the global community. At the same time, the Russian state as a regulator is striving to reform the offshore petroleum sector, hindered both by economic turbulence and by international sanctions and driven primarily by the need to improve economic prospects by securing income from oil and gas.
This thesis provides a critical analysis of the legal framework for petroleum activities on the Russian continental shelf in the Barents Arctic. It has identified, systemised and comparatively analysed the key aspects of the unique and comprehensive nature of Russian licensing, safety and environmental legislation for offshore oil exploration and production. To this end, Norwegian petroleum and HSE regimes are used as a comparative background. Based on the analysis and insights from a comparative perspective, the thesis provides recommendations on how Russia could strengthen and improve its legislation.
One of the important findings of the study is that some of the identified differences between Russian and Norwegian approaches can constitute significant challenges to efficient offshore development in potential cross-border unitisation in the Barents Sea and Arctic Ocean. In a short time, this may become highly relevant. The drilling of the first exploration well on the Norwegian side of the Fedynsky High structure (PL 858) is expected in these days. It is assumed that petroleum resources in this area may be equivalent to or even greater than one of the world’s largest natural gas fields, the Shtokman field. The discovery of transboundary hydrocarbon deposits will necessitate bilateral cooperation between Norway and Russia, including on legal matters. The thesis discusses the extent to which the legal ground is prepared for ensuring cross-border unitisation and what obstacles need to be overcome.