ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the administrative reorganizations that have occurred in the Soviet offshore petroleum industry. It describes Soviet production and exploration activities to date in the offshore waters and explores the needs of the Soviet offshore industry, particularly as they apply to deep-water technology and offshore Arctic petroleum development. The chapter provides a discussion of the type of equipment required for offshore exploration and production and the characteristics of the Western partners involved. The administration of the offshore industry has evolved from the Soviet Union's experience to date in offshore petroleum production and knowledge of potential reserves. As offshore petroleum became more of a concern in the mid-to-late 1970s, planners began to take a more systematic approach to exploration and development. The concentration of the administration of the offshore industry in the Ministry of Gas should not be viewed as a concession to the exploration of gas at the expense of petroleum.
