Department of the Marine Seismic Exploration

The main areas of activity of the department are: 

1. Survey under the issue of defining the outer limits of the continental shelf of the Russian Federation;
2. Study of the geological structure and evolution of the Earth's crust of the Arctic, maintenance of an information scientific database and knowledge on the geological and geophysical structure of the Earth's crust of the Arctic Ocean;
3. Study of the geological structure of the South Kara shelf that is close to Yamal.

Studies on the issue of the definition the outer limits of the Russian Federation's Continental Shelf

Pursuant to the decision No. 717 of the Government of the Russian Federation of 16 June 1997, Order of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 144-R of 24 March 2000, the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources together with the Ministry of Defense of Russia prepared an Application on the outer edge of the continental shelf of the Russian Federation in the Arctic Ocean, Okhotsk and Bering Seas, in accordance with the articles of the Convention. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia submitted an Application to the UN Secretary-General on December 18, 2001. The Russian Application was accepted by the UN Secretariat, recognized as corresponding to scientific and technical provisions of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf and published by the Secretary-General on the UN website. Thus, the public has been informed that Russia, within the framework of the Convention, has declared its right to include into the legal shelf of the Russian Federation a section of the seabed of the Arctic Ocean, including the Lomonosov and the Mendeleev elevations up to the North Pole, as well as seabed areas in the Okhotsk and Bering Seas.

A positive decision under the Application of the Russian Federation in the Bering Sea was made quite fast. And in regard of the Application under the Arctic Ocean and the Okhotsk Sea, work continued.

By 2013, a revised partial Application of the Russian Federation to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in regard of the continental shelf in the Okhotsk Sea was prepared.

During the period from August 13 to August 24, 2013, the first meetings of the Commission and the Subcommission were held to consider the revised partial Application of the Russian Federation to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf regarding the continental shelf of the Okhotsk Sea. As a result of the Sub-Commission's consideration, a number of comments were made. These included a request for application of the original bathymetric data.

At the second meeting of the Sub-Commission, at its 33rd session, held from November 11 till November 15, 2013, the Russian Federation prepared modern and retrospective bathymetric data. And also responded to the remaining comments of the Sub-Commission. As a result, the Sub-Commission submitted its opinion, which states that the Sub-Commission agrees with the evidence provided by the Russian Federation in the Application. At the beginning of 2014, the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has legally assigned the international waters enclave of the Okhotsk Sea to the Russian Federation.

Work with the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on the partial revised Application of the Russian Federation concerning the outer limit of the continental shelf of the Russian Federation in the Arctic Ocean still continues.

A summary of the partial revised Application of the Russian Federation in the Arctic Ocean is available on the Web site of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

In 2015, Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Gramberg Oceanology Research Institute" made partial revised Application in three volumes for the establishment (in accordance with article 76 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982) of the outer limit of the continental shelf of the Russian Federation in the Arctic Ocean (AO) beyond the limits of 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

On August 3, 2015, the partial revised Application of the Russian Federation was presented to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

During the 40th session of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, on February 9, 2016, a partial revised Application of the Russian Federation regarding the outer limit of Russia's continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean was presented.

During the 41st, 42nd and 43rd sessions of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, consideration of the partial revised Application of the Russian Federation concerning the outer limit of Russia's continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean was continued at the Sub-Commission.

At present, preparation of the necessary materials to protect the Application of the Russian Federation before the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, as well as preparation of accompaniment and presentation of Russia's Application to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf is still carried out.

Modern configuration of the outer limit of the continental shelf of the Russian Federation in the Arctic Ocean is shown in the picture.

Study of the geological structure and evolution of the Earth's crust of the Arctic, maintenance of an information scientific database and knowledge on the geological and geophysical structure of the Earth's crust of the Arctic Ocean;

The materials collected with the CDP seismic reflection method, refraction technique, deep seismic sounding in the Arctic allow us to carry out a wide range of studies on the geological structure and evolution of the Arctic. The Department carries out works on studying building elements of the Arctic region and building of the sedimentary basins of the deep Arctic Ocean. All available materials are used to solve the assigned tasks.

The latest seismic studies with the CDP seismic reflection method in the Arctic have presented the structure of the sediment cover in the basins of Amundsen, Nansen, Makarov and Podvodnikov. Information was obtained on the main positive structures of the seabed of the Arctic Ocean, that is the Lomonosov Ridge, the Mendeleev elevation, the Chukchi Plateau.

Data processing, received by radiosonic buoys (sonis buoys) provides information about speeds in layers; this information was inaccessible through the CDP seismic reflection method.

Study of the geological structure of the South Kara shelf that is close to Yamal.

In 2012-2014 jointly with the OAO MAGE our laboratory carried out a comprehensive geophysical and geochemical research on the South Kara shelf that is close to Yamal.

For the first time, regional studies of the transit zone along the Yamal coast of the Kara Sea were implemented.

As a result of the joint interpretation of geophysical and geochemical data, two new local structures were found, with good prospect for storing hydrocarbons there. One of them was named VNIIOkeangeologia. The second was given the name after the nearest structure, Morskaya (transit zone). The position of the structures is shown in the picture.

The position of the new local structures identified as a result of works on the South Kara shelf that is close to Yamal