New ERD Record. Another Long Reach Well Was Built at the Semakovskoye Field
RusGazAlliance, a joint venture between Gazprom and RusGazDobycha, set a new all-Russian record for drilling long-reach wells at the Semakovskoye gas field. RusGazAlliance reported this on May 13, 2024.
Whatever the well, it’s a record!
A new record in the construction of extended reach wells (ERD wells) was set by well No. 1112 of Phase 2.
Record-breaking well:
- trunk length – 5900 m,
- incl. horizontal part – 4652 m,
- vertical well depth – 866 m,
- departure from the vertical – 5290 m,
- the deviation coefficient (ERD) of the well was 6.11.
The ERD coefficient value of 6.11 became a new all-Russian record. RusGazAlliance reported the previous ERD record in February 2024, then the record coefficient was shown by No. 1111 Phase 2 (vertical depth – 869 m, deviation from the vertical – 4726.74 m, ERD coefficient – 5.36).
Previously, records were set by wells of Phase 1 of the Semakovsky project – the deviation coefficient of wells No. 1208 and 1104 was 3.46 and 4.48, respectively. Then it was clarified that these ERD coefficients are record-breaking for Cenomanian deposits in Russia.
The Cenomanian stage of the Semakovskoye field is characterized by high heterogeneity of sediments, as well as the presence of faults. When working in such conditions, RusGasAlliance successfully applied unique technologies and approaches in the field of geological modeling, drilling, geosteering and well completion.
In March 2024, RusGazAlliance reported that an improved method for assessing bottomhole pressure in gas ERD wells, developed jointly with Gazprom VNIIGAZ, began to be used at the Semakovskoye field. The methodology is a complex of analytical calculations that take into account the design and trajectory of the well, well performance indicators measured at its mouth, the component composition and physical and chemical properties of the produced formation fluids. The new technique makes it possible to determine pressure in various sections of the ERD wellbore without the use of downhole sensors, which significantly reduces costs.
RusGazAlliance and Semakovskoye field
Gazprom and RusGazDobycha created RusGazAlliance in 2017 to develop the Parusovoye, Severo-Parusovoye and Semakovskoye fields in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug). The total volume of recoverable gas reserves of these fields is more than 420 billion m3, liquid hydrocarbons (oil and condensate) – more than 7 million tons. The bulk of gas reserves are in the Semakovskoye field, located 450 km northeast of the city of Salekhard in the Tazovsky region Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
The Semakovskoye field was discovered in 1971. In terms of reserves, the field is classified as large – recoverable natural gas reserves exceed 320 billion m3. Geologically, the field is confined to the Ader-Payutinsky local uplift of the Urengoy oil and gas region (OGE) of the West Siberian oil and gas province (OSP). The field is a transit field, its main part is located in the waters of the Tazovskaya Bay of the Kara Sea. In this regard, the development of the field is carried out by constructing a network of long-reach wells, which avoided the cost of constructing expensive offshore infrastructure.
The development of the Semakovskoye field is divided into 3 phases (queues):
- Phase 1 includes 19 production wells, an integrated gas treatment unit (GTU) with a capacity of 7.5 billion m3/year, a booster compressor station (BCS), a power plant, and a 122 km gas pipeline from the field to the Unified Gas Supply System of Russia (UGSS). Commercial production of natural gas at the 1st stage of development of the Semakovskoye field began in December 2022;
- Phase 2 involves the construction of 11 long-reach production wells (more than 5 km) to access remote reserves in the Tazovskaya Bay water area. Drilling of the 1st production well as part of the development of the 2nd stage of the Semakovskoye field began in June 2023, the commissioning of Phase 2 is expected in 2027, which will allow the Semakovskoye field to reach a production plateau of 14.2 billion m3/year.
- Phase 3 will include 8 wells, which is necessary to maintain production. Commissioning of Phase 3 is scheduled for 2035.
The Semakovskoye field became the first offshore gas field in Russian history to be developed using ERD wells. In April 2024, accumulated gas production at the field reached 10 billion m3.
