Digitalization experience in the oil and gas sector and its implementation in the Russian Arctic zone

The relevance of this study stems from the fact that globalization – accompanied by the penetration of information and communication technologies and the internet into production and social processes, the opening up of new pioneer regions, and the COVID-19 pandemic – has triggered a catalytic reaction that is turning digital technologies into the main driving force of scientific and technological progress. One of the sectors affected by digitalization is the fuel and energy complex, particularly oil and natural gas extraction enterprises. In the Russian Arctic, digitalization has become a strategic priority for development. Hence the aim of this study: to characterize digitalization as a strategic direction for the development of oil and gas companies operating in the Russian Arctic. To achieve this aim, the following methods were employed: analytical method, content analysis of digitalization strategies and practices, expert interviews, and a comparative descriptive analysis of the authors' own experience. The scientific novelty of the study lies in providing a more detailed characterization of the drivers of, and barriers to, the development of digital technologies in the Russian Arctic; in revealing how these drivers and barriers influence one another; and in firmly establishing digitalization as a strategic development path for oil and natural gas companies active in the region. The objective facts and subjective assessments presented in the paper highlight the need to deploy and refine digital technologies in the interests of effective and safe resource management in the Arctic. From a practical standpoint, the article's materials will be useful to strategic planning specialists and to experts working on import substitution and on ensuring Russia's technological sovereignty. A promising avenue for further research could be to systematize and classify the experience of digitalization in Russian and foreign energy companies, quantifying the effects of introducing such technologies under Arctic conditions and identifying the infrastructure requirements this entails.