Author page: Babkina Ludmila N.

Problems of the development of the Northern Sea Route and its infrastructure amid a decline in economic activity

DOI: 10.33917/mic-6.101.2021.69-77

The article notes that the development of the Northern Sea Route and the Russian Arctic area around it is a necessary condition for improving long-term competitiveness of the national economy. Negative economic trends are identified that have resulted from a decline in economic activity due to the coronavirus epidemic, which significantly affect the performance of ongoing investment projects in the field of mining in the Arctic zone. It is proposed to clarify and correct the existing forecasts for the transportation of goods along the Northern Sea Route, to ensure the most efficient use of the federal budget resources for the development of its infrastructure. Using the methods of comparative analysis and a systematic approach, the authors conclude that in the context of a decline in economic activity, the volume of cargo transportation by private companies along the Northern Sea Route by 2024 will be in the range of 47-50 million tons, and a number of planned projects in the field of production minerals will not be sold. Recommendations are given for adjusting the existing plans for the development of the infrastructure of the Northern Sea Route (including the construction of nuclear icebreakers) in order to more efficiently use the federal budget funds.

Supply chain management of offshore projects in the Arctic based on digital transformation

DOI: 10.33917/mic-4.99.2021.76-87

The article provides a comparative assessment of the digital maturity of the leading oil and gas companies of the Russian Federation admitted to work on the Arctic shelf (PJSC Gazprom Neft and PJSC Rosneft) in the exploration and production segment according to the stages of the «thing-digit-thing» cycle, as well as a comparison with leading practices in the field of project logistics on the shelf. It identifies approximate cost-cutting limits of digital transformation in Arctic projects and factors limiting cost efficiency of offshore projects in the Russian Arctic. The goal of the study is to identify a potential increase in digital maturity and scope of digital transformation in the Arctic project supply chain in Russia. The study is based on modern approaches to sustainable supply chain management in oil industry and supply chain streamlining for offshore projects. The article identifies a group of factors limiting cost efficiency of Arctic projects, specific to the Russian Arctic. It is established that the main factor limiting digital transformation of offshore projects in the Russian Arctic is the increasing technological underperformance of oil service companies. To build capacity in digital maturity of the offshore project supply chain, it is necessary to focus on disruptive technologies that could significantly lower the cost of oil production in the Arctic area.

Methodological approaches to the assessment of the state and level of pollution of environmental components in the regions

DOI: 10.33917/mic-3.98.2021.95-103

The article deals with international and Russian documents defining strategic directions, goals and plans of environmental protection activities. It was found out that basically all international agreements regulate measures to protect the air basin and preserve the forests of the planet, reduce emissions of harmful and polluting substances into the atmosphere. In the Russian Federation, these activities are regulated by national projects, for example, the Ecology project. The authors propose methods that allow analyzing the state of environmental components, the level of their pollution and the costs of environmental protection on the basis of available data from the annual statistical reports of the Russian Federation.

Prospects for the development of the mining industry in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation

The article is devoted to the development of the mining industry in the territory of the Murmansk region, which is part of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The importance of mining enterprises in the volume of industrial production of the Murmansk region is analyzed, the largest enterprises to grow and their role in the socio-economic development of the region are identified. Using the example of the largest mining enterprise in the Murmansk Region (Kovdor Mining and Processing Plant), an analysis of the use of the enterprise’s working capital was carried out, the degree of efficiency of the enterprise and the industry as a whole was determined, and prospects for attracting investors from other regions were evaluated.