Comparative Analysis of Approaches to the Formation of an Institutional Framework for the Development of a Changing Resource Base for Hydrocarbon Production (on the Example of High-viscosity Oils in Alberta (Canada) and the Republic of Tatarstan (Russia))

Abstract

The modern evolution of the dynamics of the structure of the hydrocarbon resource base in various regions is characterized, as a rule, by the gradual replacement of traditional sources with more complex ones. The latter are currently classified as hard-to-recover reserves (HTRR). The process of mastering and involvement in the development of HTRR is closely related to the transition to an innovative path of development, the creation of new technologies, the strengthening of the role of local knowledge, the accumulation of experience working with non-trivial sources of raw materials, and most importantly, with the efforts cooperation of various participants involved both in scientific and technological processes and in the development of subsurface areas. All of the above is impossible without the formation of an appropriate institutional framework with regional specifics. One example of an approach implemented in this area is the Canadian province - Alberta. There is also some experience in this field in Russia – in the Republic of Tatarstan. In a comparison with the initial conditions and approaches to the development of hard-to-recover hydrocarbon resources in these territories shows that there are both common and distinct features within the framework of the implemented approaches. Consideration of the latter is important from the point of view of choosing the directions for the formation a domestic working model in this area.

Keywords

• dynamics of the resource base
• institutional framework
• hard-to-recover hydrocarbon resources
• the role of the state
• cooperation of efforts of participants in the process of development and production