Page 11 - FSUOGM Week 09 2021

FSUOGM PROJECTS & COMPANIES FSUOGM

Gazprom, Wintershall Dea prepare

to launch next Achimov project

RUSSIA RUSSIA’S Gazprom and Germany’s Wintershall to yield 15.5bn cubic metres per year of gas in
Dea are preparing to start production at the 2027-2030.
Gazprom and Achimov Block 5A formation of Western Sibe- Gazprom has divided the Achimov layer into
Wintershall Dea ria’s Urengoy field shortly, the latter’s CEO Mario five blocks. The company is also partnered with
brought online the Mehren said on February 24. Wintershall at Block 1A, which started produc-
The pair brought online Achimov Block 4A tion in 2011 and reached a plateau rate of 10 bcm
earlier this year. The Urengoy gas field is one of per year in late 2019. It works alone at 2A, which
the world’s largest, containing almost 11 trillion came on stream in 2009 and has a design capacity
cubic metres of gas. It was first put into produc- of 8.4 bcm per year.
tion in the late 1970s, and to date development The final Block 3A is undeveloped. Gazprom
has focused largely on the field’s Cenomanian has said before that combined, the five blocks
and Valanginian reservoirs, situated at depths of could flow as much as nearly 37 bcm per year
between 1,100 and 3,200 metres. of gas.
However, Gazprom has also started exploit- Wintershall Dea is a major foreign investor
ing its deeper Achimov resources, located some in Russia’s upstream. The company produced
4,000 metres below the surface. Because of the 295,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd)
Achimov layer’s greater complexity, however, the in the country last year, equal to nearly half of its
Russian firm has sought international partners. overall output.
Gazprom holds 75% interests in the Achimov Gazprom had hoped to bring on board Aus-
blocks 4A and 5A, while Wintershall Dea owns tria’s OMV as an investor at 4A and 5A. But after
25% stakes. The pair kicked off production at the years of negotiations, the pair are yet to close a
4A block in January. deal. OMV revealed in early February that the
“We will start the launch and adjustment expiry date for its option to take a 25% posi-
works on the 5A block in a few months,” tion in 4A and 5A at Urengoy had been pushed
Mehren told investors while presenting Win- back for three years until 2025. Whether or not
tershall Dea’s fourth-quarter results. Gazprom the company chooses to expand in Russia will
has said the block's start-up will occur in the depend on the performance of its other projects,
current quarter. CEO Rainer Seele said.
The 4A and 5A blocks contains over 1 “We are not thinking about acquisitions at the
trillion cubic metres and 400mn tonnes of moment,” he said in a fourth-quarter earnings
condensate in C1 reserves, according to Gaz- call. “However, we will keep this option in our
prom. Combined, the two blocks are expected portfolio.” ™

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