Dangerous gas-saturated objects on the Arctic shelf of Eastern Siberia, the Far East (Russia) and Alaska (USA)

For the first time, a comprehensive megaregional analysis of features of potential gas saturation of shallow deposits of the Arctic seas of Eastern Siberia, Chukotka and Alaska was carried out for 2086 objects revealed in CDP seismic sections with a total length of 40 thousand km. It was established that the gas saturation of shallow deposits in the studied areas depended on their tectonic activity on late stages of sedimentation. The highest density of distribution of potentially gas-saturated objects was revealed in the Laptev, Chukchi and Bering seas; in the East Siberian Sea it was 5-6 times lower. Also, in this sea, a minimal share of objects near the bottom (up to 100 m) was observed. The results as a whole confirm low tectonic activity (dislocation) at the late stages of sedimentation in the East Siberian Sea, which concurs with the pattern of the CDP seismic sections. The results can serve as important information for increasing the efficiency and safety of oil and gas exploration in the studied offshore areas.