The Bazhenov Technology Centre (a Gazprom Neft subsidiary) is preparing to commence development of Bazhenov Formation deposits at Salym-group license blocks in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra. Commercial production of non-conventional oil of which reserves in place at the Salymsky-3 and Salymsky-5 blocks stand at more than 500 million tonnes of oil is expected to start in 2025.
Gazprom Neft has completed 3D-seismic investigations at the Salymsky-3 block, having surveyed more than 300 square kilometres using “Green Seismic” technology. Data interpretation is expected to be complete by the end of 2020, with the results being used to update the geological concept of the Bazhenov Formation and the traditional deposits at that asset.
The first exploration and appraisal well (with a 1 km-plus horizontal section) has been drilled at the block, with more than 300 metres of core samples taken and despatched to laboratories in Khanty-Mansiysk and Tyumen for extensive examination. Preliminary results of rock-specimen tests indicate hydrocarbons present at six intervals throughout the strata, confirming this asset’s potential for commercial development.
The Bazhen Technology Centre will shortly be undertaking a 15-stage fracking operation at the Salymsky-3 block, with plans to begin geological prospecting works at the neighbouring Salymsky-5 block before the end of 2020. Both assets also offer considerable potential in terms of their traditional hydrocarbon reserves.
Alexei Vashkevich Director for Technological Development, Gazprom Neft
“The Bazhenov Formation is the largest source of non-conventional oil in the world. And the future of the domestic oil industry is tied up with developing these hard-to-acess deposits. We have made serious progress in high-tech fracking and drilling in the process of testing new approaches to unconventional hydrocarbon production. I am confident that these solutions will allow us to achieve maximum efficiency in developing the Salymsky assets, as well as proving the key to complex reserves elsewhere in Russia.”
(Source: Gazprom Neft)