A future pipeline project that will transport crude oils from East Siberian fields to Nakhodka, shipping port along the coast of the Japan Sea, is under discussion and gradually revealing its main framework. One of the major concerns is if significant potential of petroleum is expected in the East Siberian region. In this paper, the total of the original oil resources in the region is estimated ranging from 18.9BBO (billion barrel of crude oil) to 67.2BBO.
The Siberian platform is consisted of largely uplifted Archean crystalline basement and the overlaid sediments consisted of the Proterozoic and the Lowest Paleozoic formations. Most of the known oil reserves (85%) in the East Siberian region concentrate on the crest of the highest basement uplift on the two arch structures ; Baykit and Nepa-Botuoba. Petroleum source rocks are not concluded yet. Although the Riphean is expected to contain source rocks, it is entirely absent on the most prolific Nepa-Botuoba Arch area. Moreover, most fields have extremely high helium content (ranging 0.2-0.6 percent) with hydrocarbon gases. Based on several unique characteristics of oil and gas fields on the Nepa-Botuoba Arch, the author proposes in this paper that the theory of abiogenic origin can not be ignored ; hydrocarbons associated with helium gases may have migrated upward through the fractures from the depth of the earth.
Upon completion of the pipeline linking the supply area (East Siberia) to the market in the Pacific region, oil exploration activities will be accelerated in the East Siberian region. Subsequently, the additional oils derived from the new discoveries in the East Siberian region will fulfill the new pipeline.