OREANDA-NEWS. July 07, 2010. TNK-Uvat, a TNK-BP subsidiary, launched the first dual-pumping well as part of a pilot to test innovative dual-pumping well operation technology. The pilot is implemented at the Ust-Tegusskoye field of the Uvat project in the south of the Tyumen Region, reported the press-centre of TNK-BP.

According to Andrei Rublev, General Director of TNK-Uvat, the project’s implementation will allow simultaneous oil production from different beds by one well bore. “The bed data of Ust-Tegusskoye is a good fit for the project. The potential well rate could reach 150 tons of crude oil per day”, said Mr. Rublev.

The well is equipped with two electric submersible pumps, the first of which was installed in the lower bed of Jurassic sediments U-4 and the second – in the higher bed U-2. Both ESPs work as planned. “Oil is flowing. We will have steady well rate in a couple of weeks when the beds are developed to their full capacity”, explained Andrei Rublev. “Oil withdrawal and measurement for each bed are made separately – the supervisor takes down up to 20 parameters every half an hour.”

The second well under the project is already constructed and will be launched into production before the end of July. It will be tested with a different down-hole equipment, which will allow TNK-Uvat to compare the technical characteristics and the pricing policy of different producers.
Preliminary conclusions on the economic viability of the dual pumping well project will be made at the end of 2010. According to forecasts by TNK-Uvat experts, project implementation will reduce drill costs by 13%.

The dual-pumping well operation project is the first of its kind to be implemented not only in TNK-BP but also in Russia.