Aleksey E. Kontorovich

Aleksey E. Kontorovich was born in Kharkov (Ukraine). In 1956, he graduated from Faculty of Physics, Tomsk State University. He defended the PhD thesis in 1964, and the doctoral thesis in 1968.  In 1971, he achieved the rank of Professor. In 1990, Aleksey was elected a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences; in 1991 — full member of Russian Academy of Sciences. Since 1992, Aleksey is a member of the Earth Sciences Bureau, RAS; since 1997 — member of SB RAS Presidium.

Career history:

In 1958, he joined SNIIGGiMS (Siberian Research Institute of Geology, Geophysics and Mineral Resources) in Novosibirsk; his way was from recent graduate, engineer to Dr. habil. in Geology and Mineralogy, Professor, Deputy Director for Science.

1989–1992 — Deputy Director, USSR Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch. Since that time he worked in the USSR SB AS – SB RAS as Deputy Director of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics;

1992–2006 — Deputy Director, Joint Institute of Geology, Geophysics and Mineralogy, SB RAS;

2006–2007 — facilitator and Director of A.A. Trofimuk Institute of Oil and Gas Geology and Geophysics, SB RAS; currently – Science Advisor of this institute.

Aleksey E. Kontorovich is a world-famous specialist in oil and gas geology, organic geochemistry, and mathematical geology.  He made a significant contribution to the development of oil generation theory, theory and methods of oil and gas occurrence quantitative prediction, theory and methods of oil and gas exploration and prospecting; to economics of the oil and gas sector; to scientific substantiation and discovery of the West Siberian, Lena-Tungussky and Lena-Vilyuisky petroleum provinces; to theoretical substantiation and discovery of oil and gas occurrence in pre-Cambrian. He has carried out a huge research work devoted to global and regional assessment of oil and gas resources. Aleksey is facilitator and leader of large scientific and research-and-production teams. He belongs to the category of scientists focused on the final result, innovation, and large-scale practical application of his research results.

In 1970–1990, he was an active participant of the development of integrated oil and gas exploration and prospecting programs for Western Siberia, Eastern Siberia, and Yakutia. He was involved in discovery and exploration of oil and gas fields in these regions, quantitative assessment of their oil and gas bearing capacity, in discovery and planning the exploration of many fields, namely: Yurubcheno-Tokhomsky, Sobinsky, Verkhnechonsky, Dulis’minsky, Srednebotuobinsky, Chayandinsky, Talakansky, etc. In 1980s, Aleksey headed the development of a program for oil and gas reserves preparation in the large Vankorsky-Suzunsky region.  In 1990s and early 2000s, he was and still is one of the leaders of scientific and practical research on substantiation of oil and gas production centres in Eastern Siberia and Far East, new gas processing centres, petroleum chemistry, and helium industry. In cooperation with A.A. Trofimuk and N.V. Chersky academicians, he substantiated the need for Russia to entry into oil and gas markets of Asia-Pacific Region.  Aleksey proposed and substantiated the change of the East Siberia – Pacific Ocean Oil Pipeline route, which increased the investment attractiveness of bringing many oil and gas fields into development.

A. Kontorovich actively participates in the development of strategic documents defining the key propriety areas of social and economic development of the country, primarily the fuel and energy sector, programs of strengthening the raw material base of the oil and gas industry, strategy of formation of new oil and gas production bases.  He is one of the authors of the Strategy of Economic Development of Siberia approved by the RF Government, Energy Strategy of Russia Until 2030, General Plan of Russian Gas Industry Development for the Period up to 2030, Strategy of Russian Petrochemical Industry Development Until 2030, and many other documents. Aleksey often speaks at Parliament Hearings in the Federation Council and the Federal Duma, interacts with the Executive Office of Presidential Plenipotentiary Representatives in the Siberian and Far Eastern Federal Districts, and a number of ministries of the Russian Federation. He actively works in regions and cooperates with regional governments of Yamal-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi autonomous areas, Krasnoyarsk and Altai territories, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Irkutsk, Kemerovo, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tomsk, and Tyumen regions. He focuses on the problems of social and economic development of these regions, subsoil use, development of geological exploration, oil, gas and coal mining industry, training of personnel.

Since 2008, still working on oil and gas problems, the Academician heads the Kemerovo Scientific Centre of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  Aleksey is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the largest university in the Kemerovo Region – Kuzbass State Technical University.

A. Kontorovich and A.A. Trofimuk Institute of Oil and Gas Geology and Geophysics actively cooperated and are cooperating with the Russian leading oil and gas companies (Gazprom, Rosneft, Lukoil, Gazpromneft, Sibneft, Transneft, etc.), with a number of major companies in Western Europe, USA, North-East Asia, Australia (BP Exploration Operaiting Co Ltd., CNPC, ConocoPhillips RUSSIA INC, ExxonMobil Exploration International Limited, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, Sinopec, Shell Exploration and Production Services (RF) B.V., and others); they carry out collaborative researches, and work for these companies.

The Department of Oil and Gas Field Geology, Novosibirks State University, founded and headed for many years by Aleksey, trains the skilled specialists in oil and gas geology and geochemistry.  He delivers lectures in Moscow State University, Tomsk State University and Tomsk Polytechnic University, and Tyumen State Petroleum University on a regular basis. Aleksey was elected a Professor Emeritus of the China Petroleum University, Kheiludzian Academy of Social Sciences (PR China), Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk State University, Russian Petroleum Research Exploration Institute (VNIGRI).

During the years of work in SNIIGGiMS, the scientific school of A.E. Kontorovich began to be formed. He was a scientific advisor of PhD theses of V.I. Berilko, L.S. Borisova, L.M. Burshtein, V.P. Danilova, V.I. Demin, D.I Drobot, V.M. Evtushenko, Yu.G. Zimin, M.M. Kolganova, A.D. Lugovtsev, A.A. Rastegin, O.F. Stasova, P.A. Trushkov, A.S. Fomichev, and other well-known scientists. The specialists from Russia, Qazaqstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Turkmenistan defended more than 80 PhD theses under his scientific supervision. Over 30 of his students became doctors of science.

Aleksey pays much attention to scientific and organizational activities in RAS and SB RAS.  He is the Chairman of the RAS Academic Board on the problems of oil and gas fields geology and development, member of the SB RAS Presidium, member of the Committee of the RAS Earth Sciences Division, member of the International Committee of the Global Energy Award, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Geology and Geophysics journal, member of the editorial boards of several Russian and foreign scientific journals.

According to the decision of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Local Government of the Tomsk Region, the Obsky oil field was renamed into Kontorovichsky for Aleksey’s great services in creation of mineral resource base of the Tomsk Region and in commemoration of his seventieth anniversary (2008).

Aleksey E. Kontorovich is an Honorary Citizen of Kemerov Oblast (2009) and Honorary Freeman of Prokopievsk town where his school years passed.

He is the author and co-author of more than 1000 scientific papers, among them are 50 monographs.

Awards and Titles:

  • Ivan Gubkin Award from AS USSR (1974)

  • Medal For Labour Distinction (1974)

  • Bronze Medal from the USSR Exhibition of Economic Achievements (1977)

  • Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1981)

  • Prize from the Gornoe Technical Society (1982)

  • Ivan Gubkin Award from AS USSR (1984)

  • Silver Medal from the USSR Exhibition of Economic Achievements (1984)

  • Golden Medal from the USSR Exhibition of Economic Achievements (1985)

  • Medal For Development of West Siberian Oil and Gas Sector and Mineral Resources (1987)

  • Veteran of Labour Medal (1988)

  • Title Honoured Geologist of Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1989)

  • RF National Award in Science and Engineering For Scientific Substantiation and Discovery of Oil and Gas Occurrence in Pre-Cambrian of Siberian Platform (1994)

  • Order of Honour (2000)

  • RF Government Prize in Science and Technology (2002)

  • Title Honoured Oil Worker (2003)

  • Excellence in Subsoil Exploration Badge (2003)

  • A.N. Kosygin Award (2003)

  • V.I. Muravlenko Award (2003)

  • Gold ROSING Prize from the Russian Society of Oil and Gas Engineers (2003)

  • Companion of the Badge of Honour Heritage of Siberia in nominated category “Science and Education” for outstanding contribution in studies of Siberian oil and gas geology (2004)

  • Honoured Prospector Badge (2004)

  • Honoured Worker of Gas Industry Badge (2004)

  • Fourth Class Order of Merit for the Motherland (2004)

  • Demidovsky Prize (2005)

  • Triumph Prize (2005)

  • Miner’s Glory Badges of I, II, and III classes (2006)

  • Letter of Appreciation from the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin (2007)

  • N.K. Baibakov Prize (2007)

  • Medal For Contribution to the Progress of Russian Geological and Mining Survey (2007)

  • Winner of Global Energy International Prize (2009)

  • Third Class Order of Merit for the Motherland (2009)

  • For Service to Novosibirsk Oblast Decoration (2011)

  • Title Honoured Scientist of Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) (2011)

  • M.A. Lavrentiev Prize (2013)

  • Second Class Medal of the Order of Merit for the Motherland (2015)

and other