OREANDA-NEWS. Specialists of Belarusneft have reached "shale" hydrocarbon reserves.

First time in oil history of Belarus on the horizontal well No. 310g of Rechitskoe deposit commercial oil production from the tight reservoir has been started.

The specialists of the association proceeded with drilling of this well 28.02.2014. Prior to this the stages of scientific developing of the idea, geologic and technical feasibility analysis as well as possibilities of realization were considered. As a result of the development of well No. 310 of Rechitskoe deposit commercial oil flow was obtained from the tight oil reservoir correlated with tight reservoir with extremely low permeability. This case is about the development and entry into development of previously known Petrikovsko-Yeletskoy reservoir of Rechitskoye deposit, with non-commercial reserves, because as of the moment of its opening there were no technical capacities for extraction of such oil.

It's worth pinpointing that it was Rechitskoye deposit that the history of Belarusian oil production started from fifty years ago. After half a century the traditional oil reservoir dwindled. However, top part of the inter-salt reservoir characterized by tight reservoirs, contains significant geological reserves of so-called "tight oil" which were out of reach for Belarusian oilers until recently. Commercial development of such hydrocarbon clusters is carried out using special, complicated and expensive technologies for stimulation of production. Such technologies are based on multi-stage fracturing that for the first time in the conditions of our country was tested exactly on well No. 310g.

Rate of yield of the well is 20 t. per day. Recoverable oil in this place may reach 700 thousand t. Such yield can be compared with that of the re-opened Belarusian oil deposits. The oil produced due to deployment of new technology is viscous, different from traditional oil produced by Rechitskoye deposit. According to the specialists, start of tight oil production opens new horizons of oil production in the Republic of Belarus.

To further develop new reservoir on Rechitskoye deposit Belarusneft in the nearest future is planning to undertake grouping of wells with extended horizontal ending.