The complex seismic-geological model of the East Siberian Shelf was constructed on the basis of the analysis of the geological and geophysical material and 2D seismic data interpretation. The justification of the sedimentary cover age was made according to the geological data fr om the adjacent mainland, islands and wells, which are located on the island of Aion, the Lomonosov Ridge and in the offshore area of the US sector of the Chukchi Sea. Seismic stratigraphic tie of reflective horizons and transfer of correlation of main unconformities to the sedimentary cover of the East Siberian Shelf were performed. The regularities of the geological structure of the East Siberian Sea basins have been studied in order to assess the oil and gas potential. It is established that the sedimentary cover is composed mainly of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic terrigenous formations and the older (supposedly Upper Paleozoic?) complex of rocks is developed only in limited areas. Two clinoformal complexes of different age are distinguished in the Cenozoic part of the sedimentary section. It was established that their formation was controlled by the multi-stage evolution of the passive continental margin of the Eastern Arctic in relation with the development of deep ocean basins in the central part of the Arctic Ocean, sea level fluctuations and the Cenozoic uplift phases of the adjacent Arctic onshore. Based on the complex data interpretation, the history of the tectonic development of the studied region was restored. A two-phase rifting process in the Cretaceous-Cenozoic time is assumed. Only during the Oligocene-Pliocene (post-rift) stage the tectonic regime of the territory has been stabilized and the shelf edge close to the current one was formed. The main structural elements of the region were identified. The conclusions on the high prospectivity of the studied offshore area for the petroleum exploration were made. The oil and gas potential is mainly associated with Cretaceous and Cenozoic sequences. The region of the study is characterized by a large volume of sedimentary rocks, which entered the main zone of oil and gas generation.
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