Page 13 - FSUOGM Week 13

FSUOGM PROJECTS & COMPANIES FSUOGM
Gazprom Neft to exploit deeper layers at giant Western Siberian field
RUSSIA
The licence revision allows Gazprom Neft to tap Achimov and Bazhenov layers.
RUSSIA’S Gazprom Neft has been cleared by the authorities to develop deeper layers at the southern section of the giant Priobskoye oilfield, it announced on March 30.
Federal subsoil regulator Rosnedra has amended Gazprom Neft’s licence for the site, enabling it to exploit oil reserves up to 3,200 metres deep, compared with a previous limit of 2,700 metres. These deeper layers are esti- mated to contain 10.4mn (76.2mn barrels) in oil resources, 18.3mn barrels of which is recovera- ble, the company said.
Priobskoye is a giant oilfield situated in Rus- sia’s oil-producing heartland of Khanty-Mansi- ysk in Western Siberia. Gazprom Neft operates its southern section, while Rosneft controls its northern portion. The pair are hoping to secure RUB60bn ($960mn) in tax relief to invest in enhanced recovery at the field, in order to keep its output stable.
The revised licence terms mean Gazprom Neft can now develop oil structures in Priob- skoye’s Tyumen, Achimov and Bazhenov strata. Achimov is one of Russia’s most challenging horizons, characterised by thin sandstone reser- voirs that very greatly in thickness and quality and that are sometimes subject to high tem- peratures and pressure. Gazprom Neft sees the development of Achimov, which is found across much of Western Siberia, as a critical part of its growth plans.
Bazhenov, meanwhile, is an unconventional shale oil play that also spans most of the Western Siberian Basin and is likewise considered diffi- cult to develop. Gazprom Neft aims to produce 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the forma- tion by 2025.
Western companies are barred under sanc- tions from taking part in unconventional oil and gas projects in Russia. Gazprom Neft is therefore looking to develop the necessary equipment and technology to exploit the resource itself. The company recently reported it had managed to almost halve Bazhenov’s projected production costs.
Starting this year, Gazprom Neft aims to drill more than 30 horizontal wells and use hydraulic fracturing to flow oil from the Achimov layer of Priobskoye, it said. Production from the stratum is anticipated to peak at over 400,000 tonnes per year (8,000 bpd) by 2023.
In related news, Gazprom Neft said on March 26 it had signed a preliminary deal with US firm Haliburton on technological co-operation in developing Achimov. Halliburton’s assistance will range from research and development to the implementation of technologies and solutions, it said.
Unlike at Bazhenov, sanctions do not prevent Western firms from working at Achimov pro- jects, as the layer is considered hard to recover but not unconventional. ™
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