The Russian Government, Gazprom Neft and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra will Develop Technologies for the Production of “Hard to Recover” Oil
Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak approved the federal project “Technologies for the Development of Hard-to-Recover Hydrocarbons”. The document, a joint initiative of the Russian Ministry of Energy, Gazprom Neft and the administration of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra, is aimed at developing innovative methods for enhancing oil recovery and creating cost-effective Russian technologies for the search and production of “difficult” hydrocarbons. The implementation of the project can provide Russia with up to 50 million tons of annual additional production by 2030 at existing and new fields in Western Siberia.
The federal project provides for the creation of Russian technologies for the development of unconventional resources, primarily the Bazhenov formation – the world’s largest source of unconventional hydrocarbons. Bazhen’s geological resources in Western Siberia exceed 60 billion tons of oil. Gazprom Neft is completing the development of an industrial technology for the production of Bazhenov hydrocarbons. Within the framework of the federal project, it is planned to develop at least 15 innovative products, as well as improve approaches to multistage hydraulic fracturing.
Within the framework of the federal project, technological proving grounds are being created to test solutions for the production of “difficult” oil. The first innovative sites will appear in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra, including the Palyanovskoye field (pictured).With the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, Gazprom Neft will continue to develop chemical flooding technologies to increase production at mature fields. A significant part of such assets is concentrated in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The implementation of the planned measures can provide the company with additional production at the level of about 225 million tons of oil.
The third direction of the federal project will be the creation of technologies for searching for Paleozoic deposits, the resource potential of which in Western Siberia exceeds 20 billion tons. The main instrument for the implementation of the federal project will be the launch of technological test sites, where new solutions for the production of “difficult” oil will be tested and implemented. At the pilot sites in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra, an analysis of the effectiveness of various regulatory regimes will also be carried out to improve the state policy in the field of subsoil use.
“Today, about 60% of Russia’s hydrocarbon reserves are classified as hard-to-recover. The implementation of the federal project will make it possible to efficiently develop resources that are still inaccessible, which may increase the total oil reserves in Russia by 3-6%. In addition, we will create a source of additional budget revenues and thousands of new jobs, as well as make a significant contribution to the formation of the Russian TRIZ mining technology market, the potential of which is estimated at 200 billion rubles per year. “Alexander Novak Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
“This project is an example of effective cooperation between the Government of Russia, the region and business. Together we are solving two key problems for the industry at once. First, we create Russian technologies for the search and development of hard-to-recover and unconventional reserves, the share of which in the total production volume will grow. Secondly, we are faced with the goal of extending the life cycle of mature fields through the development of enhanced oil recovery technologies. This is important not only for the oil industry, but also for the regions of Western Siberia, where many production assets are already at a late stage of development. “Alexander Dyukov Chairman of the Management Board, Gazprom Neft
