OREANDA-NEWS. October 25, 2012. The Bovanenkovo oil and gas condensate field hosted today celebrations dedicated to launching commercial gas production in the new large gas-bearing region – the Yamal Peninsula. First startup complexes of the Bovanenkovo field and the Bovanenkovo – Ukhta gas trunkline systems are commissioned.

The celebrations were attended by Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Dmitry Kobylkin, Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, heads of Gazprom structural units, subsidiaries and contractors. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation welcomed the audience via video link.

The Yamal gas production center is replacing the Nadym-Pur-Taz region, which has been the national gas production leader for more than forty years. The Yamal Peninsula and adjacent offshore areas have a great potential: the explored gas reserves with estimated and prospective resources total 26.5 trillion cubic meters. This will make it possible to produce here up to 360 billion cubic meters of gas annually by 2030. In the nearest decades the increasing gas consumption in Russia and abroad will be satisfied mainly due to the Yamal gas.

The Yamal megaproject is unprecedented by the level of sophistication. The hydrocarbons are concentrated in difficult to access area with extremely harsh climatic conditions. The Peninsula features permafrost, long-lasting winter season and low temperatures (to minus 50 degrees centigrade). In summer 80 per cent of the Yamal territory is covered with lakes, bogs and rivers that considerably restricts the areas where industrial facilities can be situated safely.

In these conditions Gazprom created from a scratch Yamal's first production facility of the Bovanenkovo field, placed a gas transmission route to Ukhta and constructed a full-scale industrial and life support system: roads, power plants, rotation camp, industrial bases, a railroad and an airport.

The Bovanenkovo field has the largest gas reserves (4.9 trillion cubic meters) in the Peninsula. That is why it became the top-priority development target. The first commissioned startup complex comprises a comprehensive gas treatment unit (CGTU) with the annual gas capacity of 30 billion cubic meters and 60 wells. The field's productivity will gradually increase in proportion to commissioning of wells, CGTUs and booster compressor stations. In 2013 up to 46 billion cubic meters of gas can be produced in the field, in 2017 it is planned to achieve the design capacity – 115 billion cubic meters of gas annually, corresponding to approximately a sixth part (17 per cent) of the present gas production in Russia. In future, the field's design capacity can be increased to 140 billion cubic meters of gas annually.

Gazprom is constructing the Bovanenkovo-Ukhta gas trunkline system (GTS) to convey the Yamal gas to the Unified Gas Supply System (UGSS). At present, the first string stretching more than 1,240 kilometers (with account of standby lines of submerged crossings) and first workshop of the Baidaratskaya compressor station are constructed. The second string and eight compressor stations are currently under construction. It is planned to finish the GTS construction in 2016.

The Obskaya – Bovanenkovo railroad (572 kilometers long) laid by Gazprom, guarantees reliable communication of the Peninsula with the continent. Moreover, the airport built in the field is able to accommodate both helicopters and airplanes.

Coping with difficult environmental conditions of Yamal, Gazprom made the Peninsula a launching ground for using high-performance, secure, innovative technologies and technical solutions. Many of them were specially developed on Gazprom's order for Yamal by the leading Russian research institutes and national companies.

Particularly, an integrated production infrastructure for gas extraction from the Cenomanian (depth averages 520–700 meters) and Apt-Albian (depth averages 1,200–2,000 meters) deposits, used in the Bovanenkovo field, is the first in Russia. This approach provides significant saving of infrastructure development costs and increases production efficiency. Producing wells drilling is carried out by the Ekaterina domestic drilling rigs of the fifth generation that combine the best engineering ideas.

Gas treatment is carried out applying the most advanced and environmentally clean method of low-temperature separation with the use of domestic turbo expanders.

For gas transmission via the Bovanenkovo – Ukhta GTS the onshore gas pipelines are operated at working pressure of 11.8 MPa (120 Ata) for the first time. It enables to reduce the amount of lines and metal consumption. The unique domestic 1,420 millimeter pipes made of K65 (X80) steel and with smooth interior coating are used in construction.

In order for the Obskaya – Bovanenkovo railroad to cross the floodplain of the Yuribey River, the longest world's unparalleled bridge was built beyond the Polar Circle (length is 3.9 kilometers).

For gas supply from Yamal to Western Europe, the Ukhta – Torzhok GTS is being constructed at the Ukhta – Gryazovets section and the Gryazovets – Vyborg gas pipeline is being expanded (gas is supplied to the Nord Stream gas pipeline) in parallel with the Bovanenkovo – Ukhta GTS construction.

In the construction process Gazprom was, first of all, concentrated on preserving the unique nature of Yamal. Thus, process facilities occupy the least possible area. Technologies reducing the impact on the permafrost were used, such as: vapour-liquid heat stabilizers and insulated pipes for wells. In-plant recycling systems ruling out water and soil pollution are utilized. There are special crossings through line communications for free deer migration. Constant environmental monitoring is carried out.

“Not a single country in the world has created anything like this in the Arctic. It is an unprecedented project in the history of the global gas industry. By creating a brand new gas production center beyond the Polar Circle, Russia has proved in practice its leadership in the Arctic region,” said Alexey Miller.