Methodical Approach to the Economic Justification of Infrastructure Contours in the Gas Production Business of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation

This paper presents a methodical approach to the economic justification of identifying stable infrastructure contours of corporate infrastructure in the gas production business within the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF). The approach is based on a system of binary criteria that assesses transport connectivity, technological compatibility, and energy supply, and a subsequent quantitative assessment of the economic effect. The study utilizes data from Rosnedra, the Ministry of Energy of Russia, and corporate reports from leading oil and gas companies for the period 2020–2023. Testing the methodology on the Yamal and Gydan gas-bearing areas allowed for the identification of five stable infrastructure contours. Calculations demonstrate that connecting new projects to existing infrastructure within the designated contours can reduce capital expenditures by 20–50 % by eliminating redundant facilities. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the adaptation of spatial analysis principles for corporate-level strategic planning with an emphasis on economic justification, which enhances the efficiency of developing peripheral gas fields in the Arctic. The developed methodological approach forms the basis for systematic planning of corporate investments and serves as a tool for optimizing capital-intensive decisions in the development of AZRF from the standpoint of regional and sectoral economics.