Our planet is subjected to negative technogenic influence and various natural changes. Therefore, it is necessary to control such influence and prevent its consequences as carefully as possible. The so-called geodynamic safety is one of the ecological aspects. Director of the Western Siberian Branch of the Institute of Oil and Gas Geology and Geophysics named after A. Trofimuk, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Arkady Kurchikov, Dr. Sc. (Geol. & Mineral.), told about the importance of this problem and the appropriate work of scientists to a journalist of the Nauka v Sibiri (Science in Siberia) newspaper Ye. Pustolyakova.

The matter concerns safety of natural and technical systems and objects, which function in those regions where man carries on active industrial activity. It guarantees a minimally permissible risk both for these systems and objects and also for people and the environment.

0/7 drilling rigs (Nefteyugansk).

The processes occurring with the Earth's crust and inside it (vertical and horizontal surface shifts, gas gryphons, water-bearing horizons and their contamination, earthquakes) are closely connected with the development of oil and gas fields. According to Kurchikov, as a result, on the one hand, technogenic impact can lead to irreversible changes of the earth's surface proper and, on the other hand, selection of hydrocarbon raw materials in commercial quantities and pumping of mineralized subsurface waters into wells disturbs the natural state of subsurface resources. In his opinion, this, first of all, induces deformations of the upper part of the Earth's crust with a possible serious influence on engineering, technical and general construction in industrial regions, for example, destruction of buildings and structures. In case of grave consequences for oil-and-gas industry, it is fraught with a breakdown of well shafts and pipeline ruptures. Besides, water-bearing horizons are contaminated, and technogenic earthquakes with a magnitude of 1-3 points are formed.

In our country the problems of geodynamic and geo-mechanical safety of development of hydrocarbon deposits are governed by several documents such as the Regulation for Geological and Mine Surveying* Provision of Industrial Safety and Conservation of Mineral Resources (Gosgortekhnadzor of Russia, 2001) and Mine Surveying Instructions (Gosgortekhnadzor of Russia, 2004).

According to Kurchikov, at present the specialists have already developed a geological and tectonic model which is a basis for substantiation of existence of geodynamic proving, grounds system monitoring and interpretation of findings directed to safety ensuring and solution of a number of problems arising during works at fields. Studies of existing geodynamic processes are carried out in three main directions, namely, assessment of ecological risks of oil-and-gas complex objects, optimization of field development

* Mine surveyor is a mining engineer who specializes in spacial geometric measurements in mineral resources of the Earth.-Ed.

systems based on geodynamics, and monitoring of the terrestrial surface of oil and gas objects based on satellite radar interferometry.

The efficiency of the obtained technologies and studies consists in acquisition of advance information on monitoring data of current processes, detection of risk zones, management decision-making and drawing up of recommendations on safe execution of works when developing fields. Creation of an efficient monitoring technology of natural and technogenic geodynamic events and formulation of scientific and methodological principles of a geodynamic risk assessment ensure protection of the systems from a potential negative effect for a period of development of oil and gas fields. Reliable assessments and a set of preventive measures are oriented to a stable development of enterprises, rational use of mineral resources and protection of the environment.

Ye. Pustolyakova, "Geodynamic Safety: Another Aspect of Our Planet's Ecology", "Nauka v Sibiri" newspaper,

No. 39, 2011