Resources and their protection in hydrocarbon production: Legislation review

The dynamics of oil production growth observed in the world is conditioned by intensification of oil resource development related to hard-to-recover fields, particularly, shale oil recovery that has allowed for the USA to become a leader in the world production. The common petroleum and gas production technique is hydraulic fracture treatment, which has become an issue of public concern as to its environmental safety. There is an ambivalent attitude towards this technology in the world. In some countries it is forbidden, for example, in France, Bulgaria, in other countries the studies in damage caused by it and ways of its environmental safety improvement are underway. In Russia the given research is at the initial stage. The research hypothesis implies that environmental legislation has been behind the time in the sphere of production technologies. The research method is empirical-analytical one. The research results show that imperfection of normative documents as related to monitoring of environmental consequences in hydraulic fracture treatment is conditioned by the fact that in the basic nature use regulations the mineral resources do not have equal status with land, air and water as natural resources. Consequently, there is an inconsistency of institutional legal framework in hydraulic fracturing interpretation that is mostly of advisory nature. The existing monetary damages to reserves cover only the layer, the depth of which is not comparable with that of hydraulic fracturing. Besides, the calculation of damage is assessed from the standpoint of mineral resource loss, whereas the technology is conversely focused on the maximum recovery. The balanced policy of fines and measures is necessary to stimulate implementation of sustainable technologies of oil production developed on the basis of positive experience in associate gas utilization.