New Stage in the Geopolitical Struggle around the Caspian Sea after 1991

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-36
Author(s):  
Stanislav Aleksandrovich Pritchin
Keyword(s):  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
Water Area ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
Regional Powers ◽  
Complete Work ◽  
Strategic Goals ◽  
The Military

For almost three centuries, starting with the campaign of Peter the Great in 1721-1722, Russia has traditionally played a key role in the Caspian Sea. The situation changed dramatically with the collapse of the USSR in 1991 and the emergence of three new regional players-Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. For Russia, this meant a significant reduction in influence in the region and the loss of control over most of the water area and the sea and its resources. In the historiography devoted to the region, the emphasis is placed on assessing the new round of geopolitical struggle, the position and interests of Western and regional powers. The author of this article provides a critical analysis of changes in Russian policy towards the Caspian Sea over the past 30 years and assesses the effectiveness of these changes. The difficult transition from the role of a dominant player in a region closed to external competitors to an open geopolitical confrontation over resources, their transportation routes, and political influence at the first stage was not in favor of Russia. Russia could not defend the principle of a condominium for joint development of hydrocarbon resources of the sea. With the active assistance of Western competitors, Russia lost its status as a monopoly transit country for oil and gas from the region. At the same time, thanks to diplomatic efforts and increased political dialogue with its neighbors in the region, Russia managed to resolve all territorial issues at sea by 2003, maintain the closed status of the sea for the military forces of third countries, and by 2018 complete work on the Convention on the international legal status of the sea, which established the principles of cooperation in the region that are important for the Russian Federation. Thus, official Moscow managed to achieve the strategic goals adapted after the collapse of the USSR by using the traditional strengths of its foreign policy and consolidate its status as the most influential player in the region.

HYDROGEOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RESERVOIR WATERS OF THE CASPIAN SEA DEPOSITS

2021 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 33-48
Author(s):  
NABIEVA VICTORIA V. ◽  
◽  
SEREBRYAKOV ANDREY O. ◽  
SEREBRYAKOV OLEG I. ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Water Area ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Salt Composition ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
Recovery Coefficient ◽  
Hydrogeological Characteristics

Hydrogeological conditions of reservoir waters of oil and gas fields in the northern water area of the Caspian Sea characterize the geological features of the structure of the Northern Caspian shelf, as well as the thermodynamic parameters of the exploitation of productive deposits, production and transportation of oil and gas. Reservoir waters contain water-soluble gases. According to the size of mineralization, the ratio of the main components of the salt composition, as well as the presence of iodine and bromine, reservoir waters can be attributed to a relatively "young" genetic age, subject to secondary geochemical processes of changing the salt composition in interaction with "secondary" migrated hydrocarbons. The physical and chemical properties of reservoir waters are determined by PVT analysis technologies. Hydrogeological and geochemical studies of compatibility with reservoir waters of marine waters injected to maintain reservoir pressures (PPD) during the development of offshore fields in order to increase the oil recovery coefficient (KIN) indicate the absence of colmating secondary sedimentation in mixtures of natural and man-made waters.

scholarly journals THE CASPIAN REGION IN MODERN POLITICS: PROBLEMS OF REGIONAL COOPERATION

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-220
Author(s):  
V.V. Pushkareva
Keyword(s):  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Caspian Region ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Reliable Mechanism

The Caspian region appears in international political terms with the USSR collapse. It includes five littoral countries - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan, which are building cooperation with each other and with non-regional actors in the new geopolitical conditions. The formation of relations is influenced both by the common and diverse national interests of the Caspian states, and by the constant direct and indirect impact of external players: the United States, the European Union, China and Turkey. Each of them regards the Caspian region as the most important strategic space for political and economic control over Eurasia in accordance with their own interests. The interest of the world powers in strengthening their influence in the Caspian Sea is connected, firstly, with oil and gas reserves, and secondly, with the fact that the region is the center of Eurasia, where a transport transit corridor connecting Europe with various regions of Asia passes. The domestic and foreign political conditions of the Caspian region are not easy. The main problems of regional cooperation are the disunity of the region, the potential for the implementation of "color revolutions" against the background of socio-economic difficulties. The "domino effect" in development of the situation is quite real. There is no reliable mechanism to protect regional interests. The first steps to form multilateral cooperation have been taken on the basis of The Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea.

scholarly journals Contemporary ecological state of waters of the Caspian Sea during development of oil and gas deposits

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-107
Author(s):  
A. F. Sokolskiy ◽  
A. Sh. Kanbetov ◽  
N. N. Popov ◽  
B. A. Mutashev ◽  
N. I. Rabazanov
Keyword(s):  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Petroleum Products ◽  
Water Area ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Biogenic Elements ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
Marine Research ◽  
The Impact

Aim. This study was an attempt by the authors to identify the impact of oil production in the Caspian Sea on the quality of waters surrounding oil and gas-production platforms.Material and Methods. In 2018, by order of the Committee for Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazekoproekt carried out comprehensive marine research to assess the state of biological resources in the eastern part of the Caspian Sea. All studies were carried out according to standard methods accepted in international practice. Samples were collected in summer (July-August) 2018 and autumn (September) 2018.Results. An analysis of the materials of environmental studies carried out in the water area of the eastern part of the Caspian Sea in 2018 established the absence of biogenic concentrations in sea water in excess of the standard indicators. It was found that in the waters surrounding several stations in summer and autumn, concentrations of oil products were exceeded. The concentrations of pesticides in the waters of the northern Caspian Sea recorded in 2018 were not detected.Conclusion. It was found that in the eastern part of the Caspian Sea in 2018 there was no concentration of biogenic elements in sea water above the standard indicators. Of the heavy metals, an excess of maximum permissible concentrations was found only at one station - of copper in the summer over 159 sq. m and in the autumn over 121 sq. m. Of particular concern is the fact that at several stations in summer and autumn excessive concentrations of petroleum products were recorded. The concentrations of pesticides in the waters of the northern Caspian Sea recorded in 2018 were not detected.

scholarly journals The Balanced Current Special Status of the Caspian Sea under International Law

Lex Russica ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (9) ◽  
pp. 51-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. A. Batyr
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Water Area ◽  
Exploration And Exploitation ◽  
Median Line ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
Legal Regimes

The article explores the peculiarities of international legal regulation of the special legal status of the Caspian Sea, legal regimes created by the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea the adoption of which in 2018 marked the establishment of a system of treaties with regard to the Caspian Sea. The Convention aims to avoid fragmentation of international legal regulation and represents the result of the codification of the most important issues of regional cooperation among the Caspian States. It is noted that the water area of the Caspian Sea is divided into internal waters, territorial waters, fishing zones, common maritime space. The delimitation of the bottom and subsoil of the Caspian Sea into national bottom sectors is carried out by the agreement between adjacent and opposite States in compliance with the modified median line. 17 principles of activity on the Caspian Sea have been established, legitimate activities and corresponding legal regimes in the Caspian Sea have been defined: exploration and exploitation of its bottom and subsoil resources; fishing, use and protection of aquatic biological resources; shipping; marine scientific research; laying of cables and pipelines; protection of the ecological system.

scholarly journals Future Trends in Caspian Littoral States Five-Side Economic Cooperation

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-174
Author(s):  
Alexandra V. Kachalova
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Mutual Trust ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
Political Dialogue ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Oil And Gas Sector

Until lately economic relations of Caspian littoral states were mainly developed on bilateral basis. Level of five-lateral cooperation evidently because of various reasons didn’t matchthe intensity in political dialogue and dynamics of communication in different other segments.Focus on oil and gas sector and aspiration for separation were dominating. Still possible formatsof All-Caspian interaction have been discussed since the Second Caspian Summit 2007. Whileexperience of successful co-working and mutual trust were growing, with new priorities in economic development set (first of all - transport and infrastructure) the Caspian Littoral States started seeking for a suitable common platform. A new chapter for the “Caspian Five” in this segmentwas open with the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea signed at the highest levelin August 2018, as well as intergovermental Agreements on cooperation in trade, economic andtransport fields. Decision to organize the first Caspian Economic Forum in Turkmenistan on August, 12 this year under participation of governments’ members and business delegations of thelittoral states is significant. Cooperation in this format can bring a good synergy.

Ownership of Oil and Gas Resources in the Caspian Sea

2000 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamyar Mehdiyoun
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The South ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas Fields ◽  
The Soviet Union ◽  
Oil And Gas Resources ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas

In the aftermath of the breakup of the Soviet Union and the birth of new sovereign nations bordering the Caspian Sea, the legal status of the sea has emerged as one of the most contentious international problems facing the region. The discovery of large offshore oil and gas deposits in the area has added urgency to the need to resolve the twin issues of the legal status of the sea and the corresponding mining rights.The Caspian, the largest inland body of water in the world, is approximately the size of Japan. The south Caspian is the deepest part and contains the most productive oil and gas fields. The oil-producing area of the south Caspian that holds the most promise extends along a narrow structural zone across the sea from the Apsheron Peninsula in Azerbaijan to the Peri-Balkhan region of western Turkmenistan.

Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 399-413
Author(s):  
Rizal Abdul Kadir
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
United Nations ◽  
International Law ◽  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
The Soviet Union ◽  
The United Nations

After twenty-two years of negotiations, in Aktau on August 12, 2018, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, and Turkmenistan signed the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea. The preamble of the Convention stipulates, among other things, that the Convention, made up of twenty-four articles, was agreed on by the five states based on principles and norms of the Charter of the United Nations and International Law. The enclosed Caspian Sea is bordered by Iran, Russia, and three states that were established following dissolution of the Soviet Union, namely Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.

The Soviet-Iranian Treaty of 1921: History and Modernity (to the Centenary of Conclusion)

2021 ◽  
pp. 191
Author(s):  
Zaven A. Arabadzhyan
Keyword(s):  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Bilateral Relations ◽  
Property Transfer ◽  
Soviet Russia ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Almost All

After a century since the Soviet-Iranian Treaty was signed in 1921 authors of the article consider its significance from a new viewpoint – as the backing of the sovereignty of Iran and Russia that supported development of their relations. Authors examine the way it complied with the interests of Russia and Iran, and its impact on the bilateral relations in the 20th century. The signing of the Treaty secured the sovereignty of Iran, served as the base for the development of equal relations between the two neighboring states and opened up Iran for relations with foreign states. For the Russia, this document was a step towards breaking its diplomatic isolation. The authors emphasize that Russia had granted almost all its property to Iran which contributed to the improvement of the financial situation in Iran and served as a base for the development of mutually beneficial economic relations between the two countries. The authors mention that the property transfer clause was connected with the security of the Soviet Russia. This fact was reflected in the Article 6 of the Treaty. The Treaty set up the basement for the legal status of the Caspian Sea as a closed sea in the states' joint usage. The Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, signed in 2018, to some extent retained the special regime of the sea and reflected the spirit of the Treaty of 1921. Although in IRI there are different views about the Treaty some experts consider that it generally complied with Iran's national interests.

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