| Gulf of Ob | |
|---|---|
| Обская губа (Russian) | |
 Map showing the location of the Gulf of Ob. | |
  Gulf of Ob | |
| Location | Far North |
| Coordinates | 68°50′N73°30′E / 68.833°N 73.500°E /68.833; 73.500 |
| River sources | Ob |
| Ocean/sea sources | Kara Sea |
| Basin countries | Russia |
| Average depth | 10–12 m (33–39 ft) |
| Official name | Islands in Ob Estuary, Kara Sea |
| Designated | 13 September 1994 |
| Reference no. | 676[1] |
TheGulf of Ob (Russian:Обская губа,romanized: Obskaya guba), also known as theBay of Ob (Russian:Обский залив,romanized: Obsky zaliv), is a bay of theArctic Ocean, located in northernRussia at the mouth of theOb River.[2] It is the world's longestestuary.[3]
The mouth of the Gulf of Ob is in theKara Sea between theGyda andYamal peninsulas.[2] It is about 1,000 km (620 mi) long and varies in width from about 50 to 80 km (31 to 50 mi). It generally runs north and south.[2] The gulf is relatively shallow, with an average depth from 10 to 12 metres (33 to 39 ft), which restricts heavy sea transport. TheTaz Estuary is an eastern side-branch formed by theTaz River.
There are several islands near the mouth of the Ob, at the beginning of the estuary, such asKhaley Island. All these islands are close to the shore and they are generally flat and low-lying. They are protected wetlands underRamsar.[1] Further north, except for a few islands located close to the shore, such asKhalevigo andNyavigo, the Gulf of Ob is free of islands until it meets theKara Sea.
Beluga whales seasonally migrate to the Gulf of Ob.[4]
Very largenatural gas andpetroleum deposits have been discovered in this region. To the west is theYamal project to develop resources in theYamal Peninsula. To the south-east theYamburg gas field is the world'sthird largestnatural gas field, located between the southern portion of the gulf and theTaz Estuary to the east. Oil and gas from the wells are sent south viapipeline andrail transport.[citation needed]
A new port has been developed atSabetta, on the west bank of the gulf, to support theYamal LNG plant.[5] Commercial operation started in December 2017 with the loading of the firstLNG carrier.[6]
Gazprom's Arctic Gate offshore oil loading terminal is in the gulf, designed to operate where ice could be over two meters thick.[7][8]
Thefossil gas companyPAO Novatek has since 2019 had permission fornatural gas extraction from a major part of the eastern shoreGyda Peninsula.[9][10] In 2020 the company presented plans for construction of a major port for gas shipment. The port is calledUtrenneye and the project is namedArctic LNG 2.[11][12][13]
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