The Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is known not only for the oil and gas industry, but also for the harsh northern nature. Here industry and traditional northern crafts coexist peacefully.
10 interesting facts about the region:
1. Speaking the language of indigenous population, Yamal means “the end of the Earth” – from the combination of the words “Ya” (earth) and “mal” (end). The peninsula is 700 km long and up to 240 km wide. It is washed by the Kara Sea and the Gulf of Ob. Yamal is the northernmost continental point of the Okrug, it is located 800 km from the Arctic Circle. The indigenous inhabitants of Yamal – the Nenets – have long been accustomed to the neighborhood with oil rigs, continuing to roam the tundra with the reindeer herds like centuries ago.
2. The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug covers a vast area of 769,250 km², which is one and a half times more than the territory of France (547,030 km²) or Spain (504,782 km²).
3. The gas fields of Yamal are distinguished by a greater depth of occurrence compared to those already developed. There is also a different chemical composition of the gas. Deep gas-bearing formations contain the so-called fatty gas with a high content of propane, butane and pentane, which are more valuable than the main components of natural gas – methane and ethane.
4. The first mention of Nadym dates back to 1146; it appeared on Russian maps at the end of the 17th century. In the 14th century, these lands were called Lukomorye, and later – the western outskirts of Mangazeya.
5. The largest oil and gas condensate field, Bovanenkovskoye, was discovered on the Yamal Peninsula in 1971 and named after V. Bovanenko, the famous geophysicist engineer, head of the Yamalneftegazrazvedka trust, one of the legendary pioneers of Western Siberia.
6. The scientists are still exploring the holes in the earth that appeared on the Yamal Peninsula. The first funnel of 60–80 m in diameter was discovered in July 2014 from a helicopter. Several versions of why this hole had been formed are considered: usual karst hole, meteorite fall, and underground explosion werenot also excluded. A little later, reindeer breedersdiscovered a second funnel, resembling the first one, 30 km from the Bovanenkovo field. The latest funnel appeared in 2017. Later, the scientists called the true cause of the Yamal holes: a mysterious process of crypto-volcanism. These processes were observed only on Mars or Ceres.
7. Novy Urengoy received the title of gas capital, although “urengoy” translated from the local dialect of Nenets means “a dead place”.
8. Salekhard is the only city on the planet located on the latitude of the Arctic Circle.
9. Construction of the Northern Latitudinal Railway is one of the largest projects of our years. It will pass through the territory of Yamal, connecting the western and eastern parts, the Northern and Sverdlovsk railways.
10. Since 1964, regular flights of An-24 aircraft were launched to Tyumen, the settlements of Tazovsky and Tarko-Sale, and in the summer of 1968 – to Moscow.