By the end of the 20^th century most available on-land hydrocarbon producing fields have exhausted their reserves. The world meets a major challenge of finding new hydrocarbon resources. Leading scientists and geologists assume that most of the new global hydrocarbon resources will be discovered in the Arctic regions and on the continental shelf. The focus in oil and gas production is steadily shifting towards the Global Ocean underwater reserves.

Russia has got the longest shelf stretch on the planet; 85% of it is in the Arctic sector. The continental shelf of Russia’s Arctic Seas is the main reserve for stable development of the country’s oil and gas complex in the 21^st century.

In evaluation of leading researchers, the future of Russia’s oil and gas complex will be linked to recovery of unique oil and especially gas reserves on the Russian shelf, and first of all, offshore zones in the Barents and Kara Seas. The already completed surveys have resulted in discovery of the giant gas fields: Stokmanovsky, Leningradsky and Rusanovsky.

Being fully aware of the strategic need for energy carriers from the Russian Arctic and continental shelf, Russian government and oil and gas producing companies apply active efforts to start recovery of the reserves.

One of the priority goals is field construction on the continental shelf. In accordance with the Program for Hydrocarbon Development on the Russian Federation Shelf, by the year 2030 annual gas production on Russia’s shelf is to exceed 170 billion cubic meters, and annual production of oil and condensate is to exceed 10 mln. tons. In the Program the Barents Sea, Ob and Tasovsky Bays are identified as major gas production regions. Major attention will be given to the Shtokmansky Field the reserves of which are estimated as 3.2 trillion cu. meters of gas and 31 million tons of condensate.

For many years St. Petersburg has been Russia’s main center for development of strategies for exploitation of mineral resources on the country's continental shelf as well as in the Global Ocean. St. Petersburg is the home of the largest research facilities in charge of meeting this challenge.