The most important hydrocarbon fields on the shelf of the Barents Sea were revealed in its north-eastern (NE) part located in the zone of severe climatic conditions. Analysis of some components of ice conditions in the NE part of the Barents Sea is given in the present work. These components are necessary for assessment of ice conditions at preliminary stage of field exploitation. These are above all stages of ice development (thickness), ice concentration and boundaries of propagation, phases of ice phenomena, as well as ice cover extent (as an integral characteristics of ice conditions in this water area).
Shelf of the Barents Sea contains vast amounts of hydrocarbons. The most important fields (Shtockman, Ledovoye, Ludlovskoye, Luninskoye) have been revealed in the subsurface of the Shtockman-Lunin Mega-Saddle (SLMS) located in the Russian owned Northeastern part of the sea (1–4 on Fig. 1). Most of the specialists consider the SLMS as the most perspective objects of the Barents Sea, where creation of large gas producing center on the basis of already explored reserves and discovery of new fields is possible (Shakhova, 2004). Some other perspective fields are also located in this region, where preliminary drilling is carried out (Admiralteyskaya, Pakhtusovskaya, etc. - 5, 6 in Fig. 1). Fields of the SLMS are located as a chain between 73° and 76° N with general extent to the north-east along the western coast of the Novaya Zemlya. They held the most favorable position among other Arctic shelf fields of Russia from the aspect of transportation of finished commodity. However, in spite of evident appeal, some circumstances of environmental character make recovery of hydrocarbons in this region very complicated. These circumstances are, first and foremost, presence of seasonal ice cover and icebergs and sea depths (from 200 to 300 m).
