OREANDA-NEWS. October 08, 2009. Orenburgneft, a subsidiary of TNK-BP, was granted the right to use the Kemeliksky area for prospecting, exploration, and production of hydrocarbons, reported the press-centre of TNK-BP.

The Kameliksky area is located in the Perelyubsky District of the Saratov Region, its total area is 673.6 square kilometers, and its forecast resources amount to 12 million tons of oil and 4 billion cubic meters of gas.

Earlier, in 2007, Orenburgneft purchased a license for developing the Kulikovsky area in the Perelyubsky District, whose area is 118 square kilometers and forecast resources are up to 15 million tons of oil equivalent (oil, gas, and condensate). Seismic exploration works were completed in this area, and the obtained data are currently under processing. The first exploration well will be drilled there by the end of 2009.

Fields in the Saratov Region are characterized by high gas-oil ratios, for which reason comprehensive projects imply transportation of gas produced in these fields to the Zaikino Gas Processing Plant in the Orenburg Region for treatment and processing.

In 2006, after optimization of TNK-BP’s portfolio of assets, oil and gas producing enterprises of TNK-BP in the Saratov Region, including Saratovneftegaz, were taken over by another company. After granting the rights for exploration and development of the Kulikovsky and Kamelinsky areas in the Perelyubsky District to Orenburgneft, TNK-BP is planning to resume production of oil and gas in this region.

TNK-BP subsidiaries Saratov Oil Refinery and Saratovnefteproduct are among the major taxpayers of the Saratov Region. Addition of Orenburgneft, a new powerful investor, to their number will increase the contribution of TNK-BP to economic development of the region.