Currently, under the conditions of increasing depletion of hydrocarbon reserves in Russia, it is necessary to consider the resource potential of poorly-researched oil and gas objects as a factor for ensuring the sustainable development of the oil and gas complex, in the context of the concept formation of rational subsoil utilization and a circular economy. The methodology of this study is based on a clear sequence of geological and economic studies of poorly-researched oil and gas objects, including four stages, such as analysis of the raw material base, assessment of the raw material potential, determination of technological development parameters, and economic evaluation. The methods of the probabilistic estimation of oil resources of the forecasted objects with regard to geological risk are outlined. Software packages "EVA-Risk Analysis" and "EVA-Economic Evaluation of Oil and Gas Field Development Projects" were used for estimation. The result of the study is the determination of the geological and economic efficiency of the development of nine hydrocarbon objects with the determination of the order of their further geological exploration, and introduction into industrial development on the example of the poorly-researched region of the Timan-Pechora oil and gas province located in the Arctic zone.

The Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF) is characterized by the fragility of the ecosystem, the slightest violation of which can lead to catastrophic negative consequences on a global scale. Due to the availability of production facilities of various scales and environmental safety classes within the territorial and aquatic Arctic, the risk of negative impact on the environment is very significant. In order to prevent possible environmental damage within the AZRF, it is advisable to carry out activities related to the implementation of continuous monitoring of the environment aimed at detecting sources that pose a potential threat to the ecosystem. Taking into account the harsh Arctic climate, the lack of the possibility of year-round land access to industrial facilities located in the Russian Arctic, the scale and peculiarities of the implementation of Arctic offshore projects for the extraction and processing of hydrocarbons, the length and congestion of the used logistic artery - the Northern Sea Route, the choice of means, which are used for monitoring the ecological situation is justified by their mobility and efficiency. In particular, such means include technologies that allow remote monitoring of the environmental situation of industrial facilities. The article outlines the role of remote methods of environmental monitoring and control in the system of environmental protection measures of the Russian Arctic, presents methods for assessing the impact of industrial facilities of the oil and gas complex (OGC) on the environment of the Russian Arctic, presents the results of assessing the effectiveness of using remote methods of environmental monitoring of industrial facilities for the production and processing of hydrocarbons (HC) in the AZRF. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the substantiation of the ecological and economic feasibility of using the methods of remote monitoring of the ecological situation in the Arctic.

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The article presents the results of a scientific study that investigates the methodological approach to assessing the efficiency of geological exploration for hard-to-recover (HTR) hydrocarbon reserves. The traditional system of indicators for evaluating the geological and economic efficiency of exploration does not fully utilize the geological and geophysical data accumulated and processed as a result of studying HTR reserves. Consequently, the costs incurred by the operator rarely bring the expected positive effect. Using a system of additional indicators for evaluating exploration efficiency will increase the value of geological data, which in turn will positively impact the efficiency of the development and exploitation of HTR reserves. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the proposed system of additional indicators for evaluating the geological and economic efficiency of exploration. This system factors in the specific features of HTR reserves located within the northern territories of Russia. It is recommended for use when assessing the geological and economic efficiency of greenfield exploration projects, as it will allow for the adjustment of the estimated reserve volumes at various project stages. Since the proportion of proven oil reserves belonging to the HTR category is high (about 65 %), exploration activities aimed at reserves maturation in the short- and medium-term will play an important role in the country’s oil industry. The reduction in state funding for exploration is another factor that contributes to the search for new organizational forms and methods of exploration, especially at sites requiring more profound and detailed geological surveys, such as proven and forecast HTR reserves.