OREANDA-NEWS. November 18, 2011. 100, 000-th ton of extra-viscous oil (EVO) has been produced at Ashalchinskoye field of TATNEFT since the beginning of its development, reported the press-centre of TATNEFT.

"Nurlatneft" Oil and Gas Production Board of TATNEFT has been carrying out pilot operation at Ashalchinskoye fieldin Tatarstan since 2006. The Company applies the steam assisted gravity drainage stimulation technology through pairs of horizontal wells. Currently, there are 9 pairs of horizontal wells drilled with 7 of them put in operation.

The applied technology of developing extra-viscous oil deposits requires steam generation and injection into the reservoir. The construction of a domestically designed boiler house with steam generation capacity of 50 tons of steam per hour is in the process of completion at the field, which commissioning will in future allow putting into operation new pairs of wells ensuring production increase of EVO.

New technologies to limit sand production and control of temperature distribution along the wellbore of the producer have been introduced to provide for rational and efficient exploitation of the wells at Ashalchinskoye field with application of coiled tubing technologies and fiber optic cables. Prevention of salt deposition in pipelines and vessels as a result of mixing waste water of extra-viscous and carboniferous oil is solved through application of separated water injection technology.

Development and implementation of new technologies, equipment and methods of work have involved professionals and workers of NGDU "Nurlatneft", TatNIPIneft, as well as those of the service companies.

The project of EVO fields' development is progressing with the support of governmental authorities, research organizations of Russia and the Republic of Tatarstan arousing the interest of the oil companies' specialists.

TATNEFT Company expresses its appreciation to all participants of the EVO deposits development in the Republic of Tatarstan and continues working on further development of the project.

Information Reference
Significant reserves of extra-viscous oil are a substantial resource asset of TATNEFT and a promising object of increasing crude oil production. In aggregate more than 450 fields and deposits of EVO have been identified in Tatarstan. The Company has performed feasibility studies for development of 50 priority fields with total EVO reserves and resources amounting to about 200 million tons.