Oil versus protected areas in the Nenets Autonomous Region and the Komi Republic of Russia
Nenets Autonomous Okrug (also called Nenetsky or Nenetsia) is a part of the North-Western federal district of Russia. The administrative center of the region is the city of Naryan-Mar. The social and economic development of Nenets Autonomous Okrug is largely defined by mineral and raw materials. The oil industry accounts for over 90% of the total industrial output of the province. The region is located in the northern part of Timano-Pechorskaya oil- and gas-field province which has considerable oil and gas reserves. Nenets Autonomous Okrug is one of the most prospective regions in Russia for development of oil-producing because the prospected deposits of oil are only 8% worked out, of gas - less than 1%. At the same time Nenetsky is known for its enormous and highly valuable wild wetlands, such as the Pechora Delta, as well as its internationally important protected areas. Similarly, the Komi Republic in the South of Nenetsky is a region of significant resources of wild nature and protected areas, such as the Yugud Va (Komi Ural) National Park, and of oil development. Oil spills in the Usinsk area in the 90s caused international attention to the vulnerability of the area with its Pechora river systems.
Year: 2013