<p>Onshore oil deposits, <strong>on</strong> the island of <a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-642-40871-7_117-1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sakhalin</a> have existed. The were discovered in 1928 by a Russian-Japanese venture. Oil production from onshore deposits began in 1930.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There has been oil production on the island of Sakhalin in Russia’s Far East, since 1928, when a joint Russian–Japanese venture discovered oil onshore, and the local oil company Sakhalinmorneftegaz (SMNG) has been producing onshore since the 1930s.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-28T03:15:52.907Z
2022-07-28T03:15:52.907Z
Fred
<p>There are certainly oilfields under the sea floor off the coast of Sakhalin, that are being actively exploited. This map shows their locations: <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-Sakhalin-Island-showing-offshore-oil-and-gas-blocks-and-study-locations-Okha_fig1_248393621" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-Sakhalin-Island-showing-offshore-oil-and-gas-blocks-and-study-locations-Okha_fig1_248393621</a></p>
<p>But one thing that jumps out at me about that map is that it seems to also be showing some oilfields on the island itself.</p>
<p>If that is the case, would those not be easier to reach than the offshore ones, therefore exploited first? Yet I cannot find any mention of that in e.g. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakhalin-I" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakhalin-I</a></p>
<p>Am I misreading the map, is there some other difficulty, or have onshore oil fields indeed been exploited?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-27T18:05:54.400Z
If the onshore deposits exist they may be too small to be exploited or they may have high levels of contaminants such as sulfur.
Fred
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-27T21:50:39.943Z
The same latitude as Ireland, but exposed to the cold siberian winds. According to the map there are no roads, I suspect it is frozen in winter, muddy in summer. Probably it is easier to put a rig in the sea, carrying the equipment by boat, than drill on land. I don't have a bathimetric map, but it seems that the fields are in shallow waters.
FluidCode
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-28T02:41:49.000Z
Having had a look at Sakhalin Island via Google Earth & Open Street Map, it appears to have extensive forest cover, many rivers & rugged terrain. Such terrain would be challenging to exploit for oil.
Fred
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-28T07:37:33.577Z
@FluidCode Russia has plenty of mining of fossil fuels and other resources in very remote inhospitable climates on land, so I don't think that is the reason.
gerrit
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-28T14:00:14.260Z
@gerrit Russia has exploited for centuries resources in remote places of Siberia, it is possible and they have the necessary experience, but it has a cost. I see that according to Fred that oil has been exploited, but it is still possible that the preference is for the fields in the sea because they are easier to reach.
FluidCode
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-28T21:43:26.840Z
Why not embed the image and provide a link to the original?  Eventually, all links will be broken.
Rodrigo de Azevedo
<geology><economic-geology><petroleum><arctic><oil-reserves>
Is or was there oil on Sakhalin?
rwallace
# Is or was there oil on Sakhalin?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-27)

There are certainly oilfields under the sea floor off the coast of Sakhalin, that are being actively exploited. This map shows their locations: <https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-Sakhalin-Island-showing-offshore-oil-and-gas-blocks-and-study-locations-Okha_fig1_248393621>

But one thing that jumps out at me about that map is that it seems to also be showing some oilfields on the island itself.

If that is the case, would those not be easier to reach than the offshore ones, therefore exploited first? Yet I cannot find any mention of that in e.g. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakhalin-I>

Am I misreading the map, is there some other difficulty, or have onshore oil fields indeed been exploited?

**Tags:** geology, economic-geology, petroleum, arctic, oil-reserves

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If the onshore deposits exist they may be too small to be exploited or they may have high levels of contaminants such as sulfur.  
> **username_2**: The same latitude as Ireland, but exposed to the cold siberian winds. According to the map there are no roads, I suspect it is frozen in winter, muddy in summer. Probably it is easier to put a rig in the sea, carrying the equipment by boat, than drill on land. I don't have a bathimetric map, but it seems that the fields are in shallow waters.  
> **username_1**: Having had a look at Sakhalin Island via Google Earth & Open Street Map, it appears to have extensive forest cover, many rivers & rugged terrain. Such terrain would be challenging to exploit for oil.  
> **username_3**: @username_2 Russia has plenty of mining of fossil fuels and other resources in very remote inhospitable climates on land, so I don't think that is the reason.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 Russia has exploited for centuries resources in remote places of Siberia, it is possible and they have the necessary experience, but it has a cost. I see that according to username_1 that oil has been exploited, but it is still possible that the preference is for the fields in the sea because they are easier to reach.  
> **username_4**: Why not embed the image and provide a link to the original?  Eventually, all links will be broken.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-07-28. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Onshore oil deposits, **on** the island of [Sakhalin](https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-642-40871-7_117-1) have existed. The were discovered in 1928 by a Russian-Japanese venture. Oil production from onshore deposits began in 1930.

> There has been oil production on the island of Sakhalin in Russia’s Far East, since 1928, when a joint Russian–Japanese venture discovered oil onshore, and the local oil company Sakhalinmorneftegaz (SMNG) has been producing onshore since the 1930s.


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