Gazprom Neft to Establish a Network of Test Sites in Western Siberia for Hard-to-Recover Oil Technologies
Gazprom Neft has received new licenses for the establishment of technology test sites dedicated to piloting domestic solutions for the development of hard-to-recover oil reserves (HRR). This initiative will enable the company to create the largest network of such sites in Russia, accelerating the deployment of advanced approaches to unconventional oil extraction.
The new innovation clusters will be located at the Verkhnesalymskoye and Kholmogorskoye blocks in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug – Yugra (KhMAO–Yugra). The company will also test development solutions for Achimov formation reserves at the Yamburg technology site in Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YaNAO), under the license held by Gazprom Dobycha Yamburg LLC.
At these test sites, Gazprom Neft specialists will conduct trials of advanced well-logging equipment, drilling technologies, and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) systems. The sites will also serve as platforms for implementing Russian-made technologies and chemical agents for enhanced oil recovery, as well as software and mathematical models tailored to the development of HRR.
Gazprom Neft previously launched Russia’s first technology test sites at the Salymskoye-3 and Palyanovskoye fields in KhMAO–Yugra. With the addition of three new sites, the company significantly expands its capabilities to develop cutting-edge solutions across a range of geological and climatic conditions.
“The development of Russia’s fuel and energy sector is directly linked to unlocking hard-to-recover reserves. To make these vast resources economically viable, we need to apply advanced approaches,” said Sergey Doktor, Head of the Upstream Department at Gazprom Neft.
“We have now created a network of five technology test sites across Western Siberia, where we can concentrate on scientific and innovative activities. This will allow us to develop solutions that not only meet our company’s challenges, but also become key enablers for the entire Russian oil and gas industry.”
