As part of a large-scale summer Arctic research expedition “Kara-Summer – 2014” a meteorological station was installed that meets the latest modern requirements for such equipment, on the island of Uedinenie.
The expedition organized by the “Arctic Research and Development Center” (a joint venture of “Rosneft” and ExxonMobil), with the support of the specialists from the FGBI “Arctic and Antarctic Scientific Research Institute” has completed the restoration of the system of meteorological observations in the Kara Sea, where previously as commissioned by the Company three more stations were installed. This will allow supplying the region with a full-fledged complex of meteorological monitoring. Also, preventive maintenance of all previously installed meteorological stations on the archipelago Novaya Zemlya was carried out.
The Company is systematically implementing an extensive program to restore all systems of meteorological observations in the Arctic, and the expedition is planning to install a few more meteorological stations in the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea. A unified network of meteorological observation will not only allow optimizing the works on geological exploration and increasing the effectiveness of extraction works, but it will also enable a series of large-scale scientific and research programs to study the region. The amount of collected information goes far beyond the framework of research necessary to begin exploration works on the continental shelf of the seas of the Arctic Ocean. The obtained data can significantly improve the quality of weather forecasts for the benefit of the whole country.
The expedition on board of the modern scientific expedition vessel “Akademik Tryoshnikov” is currently in the Laptev Sea and is heading towards the islands of the De Long in the East Siberian Sea. As part of the expedition scientists began exploring the waters of the licensed areas of NK “Rosneft” in the Laptev Sea, the Kara Sea, the East Siberian and the Chukchee Sea.
A special attention is being paid to biological research, including the monitoring of the habitat of marine mammals and birds. Priority in this direction belongs to a comprehensive study of polar bears. Specialists-zoologists biopsied some of polar bears, which will enable to assess the impact of environmental changes on the animals; they also placed special collars with satellite transmitters on some animals, which will make it possible to obtain data on the distribution of polar bears within the research area.
Additionally, oceanographic works are being conducted which included getting the parameters from the six submerged autonomous buoy stations installed in August of 2013. In a course of a year these stations have been gathering information about the level of the sea, its currents and waves, sediment and ice drifting. Such data is necessary to implement the programs of exploration drilling and the subsequent development of the East-Prinovozemelsky licensed areas of the “Rosneft” Company.
As part of the implemented ahead of the licensing requirements program of geochemical surveys to identify the presence of the primary hydrocarbon indications in the licensed areas of the “Rosneft” Company, bed load samples were collected, which will next be subjected to a comprehensive geochemical analysis in laboratories at the end of the expedition.
During the expedition specialists installed 45 drifting buoys to track the movements of icebergs in the glacier areas of the northern island of Novaya Zemlya and the islands of the archipelago Severnaya Zemlya. These buoys allow continuously monitoring the positions of ice formations and determining the trajectory of their drift. In addition, aerial and radar photographs of iceberg-producing glaciers were taken, which will allow building their 3D models and evaluate their productivity.
Moreover, on the archipelago Severnaya Zemlya specialists-volcanologists have identified promising locations to install sensors for monitoring the seismic situation in the area of future works.
This comprehensive collected data will be considered when planning any economic activity in the Arctic shelf, and it will also be taken into account when developing the technology of safe production of hydrocarbons in the Arctic.
The expedition “Kara-Summer 2014” will last until September 23, 2014.
Source and Image Credit: Rosneft
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