Prior to the breakup of the Soviet Union, Soviet oil production equaled that of Saudi Arabia at 11 million b/d. After the Soviet collapse, Russian oil production plummeted, falling to eight million b/d in 1992 and to only six million b/d by 1996.
The Russian oil and gas industry has undergone dramatic changes since the collapse of the Soviet empire and the demise of its bureaucratic administrative structure. When the state economic planning system disappeared with the rest of the Soviet state organization, the units of the Russian oil industry were left to flounder, and the monopoly in the Soviet oil industry gave way to a small number of powerful oil companies. Lukoil is the largest Russian oil business group and one of the world’s leading vertically integrated oil and gas companies.
In recent years Russian oil production has surged and will likely peak in 2010. Yet, while Russia possesses enormous onshore oil fields, many of these fields have been producing for some time and are becoming depleted. There are, of course, many potential new discoveries to exploit. Deposits in the Arctic and in the Caspian Sea are noteworthy, and reserves in the northwestern Russian Arctic are estimated to hold well over four billion bbl of oil. Russia’s proven natural gas reserves amount to 47 trillion cubic meters, 26% of the world’s total.
The bulk of Russian gas production comes from three super-giant fields that are now in decline at a rate of 20 bcm/year. In addition to ageing fields, growth of Russia’s natural gas sector has also been impaired by near monopolistic domination over the industry by Gazprom, state regulation, and insufficient export pipelines. Gazprom, Russia’s state-run natural gas monopoly, holds more than one-fourth of the world’s natural gas reserves, produces nearly 90% of Russia’s natural gas, and operates the country’s natural gas pipeline network. The company’s tax payments account for approximately 25% of Russian federal tax revenues. Gazprom is heavily regulated, and by law it must supply the natural gas used to heat and power Russia’s domestic market at government-regulated below-market prices.
The potential growth of both oil and natural gas production in Russia is limited by the lack of modern western technologies for exploration, development, and production as well as government policies. Russia’s ability to maintain and expand its production and export capacity faces daunting challenges. The country’s oil and gas fields are ageing. There is insufficient export capacity in the crude oil pipeline system controlled by Russia’s state-owned pipeline monopoly, Transneft. And, there is insufficient investment capital for improving and expanding Russian oil and gas production and pipeline systems. Potential investors complain that the investment climate in Russia is inhospitable with respect to factors such as poor intellectual property rights protection, burdensome tax laws, and inefficient government bureaucracy. An additional problem inhibiting investment across national boundaries is that some Russian players have a poor reputation for corporate governance, with allegations of corruption and extortion.
This report offers a thorough analysis of Russia’s hydrocarbon industry. It examines the industry’s potential and its challenges, the links between Russia’s energy policy and foreign policy, and its use of gas and oil as foreign policy tools. The report also profiles major players in the industry, and explores the state of foreign investment in the Russian industry as well as Russia’s involvement in and influence on the oil and gas industries of the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa.
View Table of ContentsPages: 82
Publication Date: May 2007
Publisher: Energy Business Reports
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