OREANDA-NEWS. The Second International Research Conference on Problems and Experience of Developing Tight Reserves at Oil and Gas Condensate Fields came to its completion in Saint Petersburg on May 23. The conference was organized jointly by Gazprom Neft and the Mining National Mineral Resources University.

The conference was attended by experts from the Russian Ministry of Energy , the Federal Agency for Subsoil Use (Rosnedra ), the State Commission on Reserves (GKZ RF ), representatives of leading Russian and foreign oil, gas, and service companies, research centers, representatives of leading Russian universities involved in the problems of developing nontraditional hydrocarbon reserves. Over thirty research reports were presented at the forum.

The main topics of discussion were innovative technologies for the development of oil and gas condensate fields, development of oil rims and new drilling technologies, methods for raising reservoir recovery, integrated engineering of oil and gas condensate fields, computer technologies used in engineering and monitoring the operation of oil and gas condensate fields, and international experience in developing tight reserves. During the discussion, conference participants touched upon the legal and taxation framework applicable to the development of tight reserves.

Gazprom Neft is actively implementing a tight reserves program, under which the company plans to bring approximately 60 million tons of additional tight oil reserves into development by 2015 and increase that figure to 300 million tons by 2020. Furthermore, the company is implementing projects for the development of nontraditional reserves, including the Bazheno-Abalakskaya suite. Significant hydrocarbon resources are concentrated in the Bazheno-Abalaksky complex in Russia, but the technology for extracting those resources is currently in the experimental stage. For example, in the spring of 2013, Gazprom Neft completed drilling of the first appraisal well for the purpose of commercial study and testing of the Bazheno-Abalaksky horizon of the Palianovskaya site at Krasnoleninsky field in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra. An oil and gas mixture flowing naturally at a rate of 80 cubic meters per day has been obtained at the well, and the company is developing a plan for commercial development of these deposits. Yet another Gazprom Neft project for the study of the potential production of shale oil is underway as part of a joint venture with Shell entitled Salym Petroleum Development (SPD) at Verkhne-Salymskoye field in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra.

Mars Khasanov, head of the Gazprom Neft Technologies Directorate and Chief Executive Officer of Gazpromneft Research Center, said that „our company is paying a lot of attention to developing nontraditional oil and gas resources and tight reserves. We know very well that these projects involve significant technological complications and require substantial investment. Working with tight reserves is a serious challenge facing the entire oil and gas industry. Therefore, in order to find effective solutions, we must maintain a constant dialogue, and take advantage of all the scientific potential and technological approaches currently possessed by contemporary oil and gas companies and their partners.”