Gas production and reindeers

The Yamal Peninsula is a huge peninsula of 120,000 km² with coasts in the Arctic sea and the Gulf of Obi. The local indigenous inhabitants (about 40,000) are the Nenets, also known as Samoyeds. Its original language is the nenezo that is spoken by some 39,000 people. They are reindeer breeders and in addition fishermen .. They are suffering a profound alteration of their way of life because the Yamal Peninsula has the largest reserves of natural gas in Russia, currently developed by Gazprom in society with enropeas and Chinese companies.

Russia has just opened a liquefied natural gas plant and has already launched the first first tanker.

The tanker is also an icebreaker that can transport up to 173,000 cubic meters of LNG. Russia plans to build 15 similar tanks, which would mean that Russia could annually mobilize more than 2 million cubic meters of Liquefied Natural Gas.

The expansion of the gas industry has affected the pastures locally and the herds have been decreasing. This has forced many members of that population to emigrate or to dedicate themselves to other tasks, especially to work in the industry, which according to recent estimates already occupies 41% of the population.
An organization of the Nenets, the Yasavey ("those who know the way"), is fighting for recognition of the rights to their territories and participation in the riches they contain.