Russian Arctic Oil Drilling

Drilling in the frozen Arctic landscape might seem fairly improbable, but Russia and other nations are forming innovative methods for finding oil in the depths of the seabed.

Traditionally, a hole known as a well-bore is drilled into the seabed to detect and then extract oil, should it be found. A device known as a “Christmas tree” (due to its unusual shape) is installed at the top of the well and is designed to monitor pressure and oil flow. However, new designs had to be made to deal with the extremely adverse conditions of the Arctic land. Ice roads have to be formed to transport the oil away from the drilling site, and constructing these roads in the terrain is full of hazards.