Natural gas in Arctic mostly Russian
STUDY: By comparing geological conditions with other parts of the world, Alaska could fare well too.
Daily News staff and wire reports
Published: May 28th, 2009 09:58 AM
Last Modified: May 29th, 2009 06:28 AM
Nearly one-third of the natural gas yet to be discovered in the world is north of the Arctic Circle and most of it is in Russian territory, according to a new analysis led by researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey. Alaska also is believed to hold a significant storehouse.
"These findings suggest that in the future the ... pre-eminence of Russian strategic control of gas resources in particular is likely to be accentuated and extended," said Donald L. Gautier, lead author of the study published in Friday's edition of the journal Science.
Russia is already the world's leading natural gas producer, noted Gautier, of the Geological Survey's office in Menlo Park, Calif.
The report, by an international scientific team, estimated that the Arctic also contains 3 percent to 4 percent of the world's oil resources remaining to be discovered.
Two-thirds of the undiscovered gas is in just four areas -- the South Kara Sea, North Barents Basin, South Barents Basin and the Alaska Platform -- the report said.
Indeed, the South Kara Sea off Siberia contains 39 percent of the Arctic's undiscovered gas, the researchers said.
The Alaska Platform extends from the central North Slope to offshore waters in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas.