Russia's first laboratory of Earth cryology and geotechnical safety is starting work in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YANAO), the press service of the governor of the region reports.

"Four scientists from Tyumen and Novosibirsk arrived in Yamal. They will study permafrost on the basis of the country's first laboratory of Earth cryology and geotechnical safety. It was opened in the district on the basis of the Scientific Center for the Study of the Arctic on the initiative of the Governor of Yamal Dmitry Artyukhov. The laboratory's activities will contribute to improving the level of industrial and environmental safety, reducing economic losses and damage to the capital facilities fund of the district," the report says. The authorities specify that this is the first such laboratory in the country.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the importance of the topic. He instructed to work out a system of regular surveys of buildings and structures in the northern regions of the country, where the melting of permafrost is recorded.
Now there are seven specialists in the laboratory staff. The department was headed by Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Anatoly Shuvaev. He is a co-author of more than 30 federal and regional regulatory documents on the construction, design and maintenance of transport facilities in Siberia, has been cooperating with the district for more than 40 years. Specialists will soon take soil samples at several capital construction sites in Salekhard and Novy Urengoy, the Salekhard - Nadym highway, sections of the Purovsk - Korotchaevo highway, the press service notes.

Scientists of the Scientific Center for the Study of the Arctic have been observing permafrost changes under capital construction buildings in the capital of the district for three years. Thermometric wells with a monitoring system are installed under two apartment buildings, a sports complex and an art school. This makes it possible to assess the bearing capacity of soils.

In June, employees drilled ten wells for background monitoring of frozen rocks in the vicinity of the cities of Salekhard, Labytnangi and Novy Urengoy. This will allow us to assess the current state and make forecasts of changes in the state of frozen rocks due to climate warming. The results of the research will form the basis of recommendations for the development of territorial building codes. The creation of a laboratory in Yamal solves the tasks of the national project "Science", the message clarifies.

Russian scientists have begun studying a new gas release funnel that was discovered in the tundra of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous district. The Russian center for Arctic development claims that the funnel is in perfect condition, which will allow it to be studied in detail.
Several craters have been found on the territory of the Autonomous district since 2014. The depth of the most famous - in the area of the Bovanenkovskoye field-is at least 35 meters, the diameter is about 40 meters, at the moment they are completely submerged. The reason for the formation of craters is the release of gas from the ground. Another sinkhole was formed on June 28, 2017, 34 kilometers from the village of Seyakha, its depth at the narrowest point is more than 50 meters. The new funnel is the 17th such find since 2014.
"In the permafrost, a gas-saturated cavity is formed, an empty space filled with gas with high pressure. When the pressure of the gas mixture exceeds 12 atmospheres, a stream of great force, accompanied by a loud sound, breaks out, tearing the earth's permafrost surface, scattering blocks of ice and soil for hundreds of meters, forming a cylindrical funnel, up to 50 meters deep with perfectly round shapes," the center said.

Russian scientists have for the first time in 25 years will lay the platform for the study of permafrost Gydan peninsula in Yamalo-Nenets.

The Chinese company CNPC is in talks to participate in the construction of a second LNG plant "Novatek" Yamal - "Artik LNG."

Over the weekend in the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous district occurred 12 wildfires on an area of 246 hectares.

The Yamal region contains nearly 22 per cent of the global proven gas reserves and 70 per cent of all Russian crude reserves. Nearly 85 per cent of the natural gas production in Russia comes out from the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District.