Page 13 - FSUOGM Week 23 2021

FSUOGM PROJECTS & COMPANIES FSUOGM

Gazprom Neft, Novatek form

offshore Arctic JV

RUSSIA RUSSIAN oil and gas companies Gazprom Neft “The Russian Arctic Shelf has enormous
and Novatek have formed a joint venture to – although yet not fully assessed – resource
This will mark explore and develop a block in the Chukchi Sea, potential. But exploring and developing it
Novatek's entry onto the giving the latter its first access to Russia’s offshore demands major investment: which is why
Russian Arctic shelf. Arctic Shelf. joint ventures are the among the most effec-
The Chukchi Sea is an understudied area tive models for offshore operations,” Gaz-
between Russia’s eastern Chukotka Penin- prom Neft chairman Alexander Dyukov said
sula and the US state of Alaska. Gazprom and in a statement. “Partnerships consolidate not
Novatek signed an agreement at the St Peters- just financial resources, but also the industry
burg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on expertise and the material, human and logisti-
June 3 to form a 51:49 joint venture to develop cal resources of the parties.”
the Severo-Vrangelevsky block, spanning Only state-owned Russian companies can
117,600 square km. The deal builds on a mem- operate Arctic offshore blocks and as a result,
orandum of understanding (MoU) that the pair Rosneft and Gazprom have accumulated doz-
signed in 2019. ens of licences between them in the area. While
The block has water depths ranging from 20 there is nothing to stop them from bringing in
and 90 metres deep. Gazprom Neft acquired non-state partners at these sites, they have tradi-
rights to the area in 2013 and has since accumu- tionally been reluctant to share their resources.
lated around 11,000 km of 2D seismic data. It has For years, Russian officials have discussed
estimated Severo-Vrangelevsky’s resources in the potentially liberalising access to the country’s
past at 14.7bn barrels of oil and condensate and 1 offshore shelf to private players. But no serious
trillion cubic metres of gas. steps in this direction have been taken. ™

Gazprom Neft, Tatneft to develop

oil recovery tech

RUSSIA RUSSIAN oil companies Tatneft and Gazprom Gazprom Neft noted that the oil recovery fac-
Neft have teamed up to develop technologies to tor in Russia was 35%, while worldwide it ranges
Gazprom Neft said it boost oil recovery, they said on June 4. from 20 to 50%.
was also partnering Under the agreement, signed at the St Peters- “Chemical methods of increasing oil pro-
with other Russian burg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), duction can significantly increase the efficiency
companies to develop the pair will test technologies at their assets in of the development of even depleted areas,” the
the first Russian-made Western Siberia and the Volga region. They plan company said. “These technologies will literally
equipment for hydraulic to jointly research surfactants and polymers that give a second life to the fields of Western Siberia.
fracturing. can be used to enhance oil operations, they said, Launching their commercialisation is an indus-
and map out a strategy to provide necessary try-wide task.
equipment and services in the areas where they
operate. Homemade fracking tech
“Methods of enhanced oil recovery [EOR] Gazprom Neft also said it was partnering
are a driver for the development of the oil and with other Russian companies to develop the
gas industry; however, for the development and first Russian-made equipment for hydrau-
launch of large innovative projects aimed at a lic fracturing. The use of this equipment will
significant increase in oil recovery, government help increase production of hard-to-recover
support is required,” Tatneft said. “Combining reserves, it said.
the experience and competencies of Tatneft and A co-operation agreement on the project was
Gazprom Neft will make it possible to imple- signed by Gazprom Neft, the Moscow Institute of
ment complex projects, [and] solve complex Heat Engineering Corp. and MeKaMineft, also
scientific and industrial problems with the max- at SPIEF. The aim is to develop the first domestic
imum national economic effect for the country.” full-sized hydraulic fracturing complex. ™

Week 23 09•June•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P13