OREANDA-NEWS. May 12, 2010. OJSC Varieganneftegaz (a member of the TNK-BP structure) plans to drill up to 100 wells in 2010; 16 of them will be drilled above and beyond the required number. Currently, the construction of a new cluster site is being finalised at the Western Yermak field and the drilling of the remaining 6th well has commenced, reported the press-centre of TNK-BP.

While normally, oilers manage to extract anywhere from 40 to 70 tonnes of hydrocarbons per day from a new field, this figure was surpassed at the Western Yermak. For example, thanks to the recent introduction of horizontal wells the resulting flow rate reached 150 tonnes of oil per day. Sergei Karavaev, Director General at OJSC Varieganneftegaz commented on these successes and pointed out that this year the subsidiary would see record volumes of drilling operations. It should also be noted that these plans came to fruition despite the excessively cold winter.

OJSC Varieganneftegaz was incorporated in May 1993 based on a previous production facility that shared the same name. The subsidiary is operating five fields – North Variegan, Bakhilovskoye, North Khokhryakov, Verkhnekolik-Yegan, and Suslikovskoye. Currently, Varyeganneftegaz consists of three expanded oil production facilities, one oil treatment and transportation terminal and one production maintenance facility.