Gazprom Neft has begun drilling wells at one of Russia’s largest oil and gas condensate fields — the Chayandinskoye, with proactive pilot development scheduled to start in Q4 2019.
Gazprom Neft is developing the Chayandinskoye oil-rim deposit under an operatorship agreement with Gazprom Dobycha Noyabrsk LLC. A production well built by Gazprom Neft will be used initially for core and downhole sampling, among other things, and a range of geo-physical investigations undertaken, allowing key technological and geological metrics to be clarified prior to full development starting. The well has a total projected length of more than four kilometres, with the horizontal shaft running to about 1.5 kilometres.
Gazprom Neft will be putting several gas wells into operation as part of active pilot development at this asset. The natural gas produced through these will be sent to the 17.5 MW electricity station at the Chayandinskoye oilfield, providing electricity for all equipment and production facilities at the field, as well as the residential complex. Preparations for launching the station are currently underway.
Full-scale development of the Chayandinskoye oil-rim deposit is expected to start in 4Q 2021. Peak production is expected to reach 2.9 million tons of oil equivalent (mtoe). Project development envisages the expansion of existing oil processing facilities and the construction of a pressure pipeline to feed oil into the East Siberia Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline system. Besides drilling on Chayandinskoye, Gazprom Neft will also build a compressor station and pipeline to transport associated petroleum gas (APG) to existing gas infrastructure facilities at the Chayandinskoye field, with hydrocarbons subsequently feeding into the Power of Siberia pipeline. The compressor station is expected to go into operation in 2022.
“One of the key areas in Gazprom Neft’s development strategy is engaging in oil-rim development, including at fields belonging to our parent company,” Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov said in a statement issued by the company’s press office. “We have both the latest technologies and extensive competencies, as well as valuable experience in developing complex reserves like these.
“This will work to our advantage in developing the oil element at one of Russia’s biggest oil and gas condensate fields — the Chayandinskoye. Going forward it — together with our other assets in this part of Russia — will become the centrepiece in Gazprom Neft’s new oil production cluster in Eastern Siberia,” Dyukov said.
The Chayandinskoye oil and gas condensate field (the license to which is held by Gazprom PJSC) is located in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). It forms part of the resource base supplying the Power of Siberia gas pipeline. The field is unique in terms of its recoverable reserves (B1+B2), which stand at 1.2 trillion cubic of gas, and 61.6 million tons of oil and condensate. Field development and operation is being managed by Gazprom Dobycha Noyabrsk LLC.