DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2789-6919/46/167-171
Nihat Lazimov
Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2504-063X
Nihatlezimov1996@mail.ru
The Impact of Geopolitical Factors on the Development of Offshore Oil and Gas Construction Technologies
Abstract
Geopolitical factors play a significant role in the development of construction technologies for offshore oil and gas facilities. In areas with territorial disputes and political conflicts, projects focus more on mobility, rapid assembly, and enhanced safety. This approach enables platforms to be quickly relocated to other zones, reducing risks during any political or military tensions. For example, in the South China Sea, modular, quickly assembled, and movable platforms have been developed as a result of disputes between China and other regional countries. Such technological solutions serve both economic and political purposes. Sanctions push many countries, especially Iran, to develop domestic technological capabilities due to limited access to foreign equipment and software. This, in turn, leads to the emergence of new engineering schools and national standards. Similar trends have been observed in Russia since 2014On the other hand, in regions with political stability and high regional cooperation, such as the North Sea involving Norway, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, the integration and standardization of technologies result in safer and more efficient construction processes. These examples show that the geopolitical environment both limits and promotes technological development. In the future, under conditions of global instability, the use of robotic, unmanned, and energy self-sufficient installations in offshore oil and gas construction will expand. This will minimize human factors and increase the resilience of facilities. Such technologies also ensure rapid response and flexible adaptation, addressing modern geopolitical challenges.
Keywords: geopolitics, offshore oil and gas construction, mobile platforms, sanctions, autonomous technologies