Gazprom’s Science and Technology Prize

Creating and adopting innovative methods of tight gas development to increase cost efficiency of production

The research paper presents the findings obtained from the adaptation of a set of technical and engineering solutions meant to increase the efficiency of hard-to-recover gas reserves production from the Senonian-Turonian pay zones of the Yuzhno-Russkoye gas and condensate field with the use of the infrastructure and equipment already available at the Cenomanian production sites.

During the pilot development of the Turonian gas deposit at the Yuzhno-Russkoye field, the following methods and technologies designed to enhance the productivity of wells have been tested:

• hydraulic fracturing procedure in vertical wells;
• bilateral sloped well;
• well with uphill wellbore geometry;
• multistage hydraulic fracturing in a sloped well.

For the first time ever with regard to Turonian gas production, pilot operation of a well with uphill wellbore geometry has been proposed, substantiated and carried out, making it possible to ensure the optimal well operating mode, enhance the well productivity and increase the ultimate gas recovery from the reservoir. The structure developed as a result of the research work does not require any foreign equipment or spare parts, which is especially relevant in the situation where the Russian Federation is under international sanctions.

The authors have selected and applied technical design and engineering solutions that make it possible to ensure economic efficiency of gas production through the combined development of the Senonian-Turonian and Cenomanian gas deposits.

The authors of the work have developed a number of protectable technical solutions, which have received a total of 5 patents.

V. Dmitruk (supervisor of the work, Severneftegazprom), A. Chernyshev, I. Dubnitsky, A. Kasyanenko, A. Legay, E. Mironov, V. Vorobyov, (Severneftegazprom), V. Cherepanov (Gazprom), A. Babak, A. Krasovsky (Gazprom Proyektirovaniye) 

Nominating company: Severneftegazprom.

Developing a set of domestically-manufactured refining catalysts to produce high-quality motor fuels

For the purposes of the import substitution policy, the authors of the work have accomplished the task of improving the production efficiency of the main secondary processes taking place during oil refining, as well as increasing the refining depth and output of light oil products, including premium and high-margin motor fuels of the Euro 5 class, through the adoption of highly efficient catalysts and innovative technologies for their production, which have been developed jointly with Russia's leading academic and industry-specific scientific institutions. 

The most significant objectives reached in the course of the research work are as follows:

• the composition of catalytic cracking catalysts and their production technologies have been optimized to suit the consumer needs;
• a technology has been developed for ultra-stabilization of microcrystalline zeolite, the main component of the cracking catalyst, through thermal-and-steam treatment;
• a set of engineering solutions has been created; chelating agents have been selected in such a way as to ensure that hydroprocessing catalyst activity can be recovered to at least 95 per cent;
• the required feedstock has been selected, the required composition has been designed, and the process stages have been defined for the production of the isodewaxing catalyst;
• the required feedstock has been selected and the required composition has been designed for the oligomerization catalyst that possesses exponentially enhanced operational properties.

The following catalysts have been developed:

• catalytic cracking catalysts of the Avangard, M and N grades (serve to increase the output of the gasoline component);
• oligomerization catalyst КОB-1;
• isodewaxing catalyst GIP-14 ;
• reactivation technology for hydroprocessing catalysts (serves for exhausted catalysts to recover 100 per cent of their activity and be returned into the production cycle).

All solutions developed in the course of the research work are patented; there are in total 10 patents received with regard to them.

The production of the newly developed catalysts was implemented at the Omsk Refinery and Moscow Refinery, and their production at said refineries has been launched.

O. Vedernikov (supervisor of the work, Gazprom Neft), A. Andreeva, D. Kondrashev, V. Miroshkina, I. Reznichenko (Gazprom Neft), S. Gurievskikh, D. Khrapov (Gazpromneft-ONPZ), V. Doronin (Institute of Hydrocarbon Processing of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences), O. Klimov (Boreskov Institute of Catalysis of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences), A. Popov (UNISIT).

Nominating company: Gazprom Neft.

Developing and utilizing Katburr polycationic drilling muds to improve well construction efficiency in challenging mining and geological conditions

The research paper presents the results of studies performed with the aim of optimizing the compositions and enhancing the efficiency of drilling muds used in the construction of wells, including the following:

• analysis has been performed to obtain the understanding of the global experience in the selection of a drilling fluid design for various difficult wells to be drilled, such as wells in unstable argillaceous deposits, in salt deposits, at abnormally high formation pressures, in high temperatures, in an aggressive formation fluid, as well as in pay zones;
• new approaches that rely on the use of polycationic drilling muds, rather than drilling muds stabilized with anionic and nonionic polymers, have been scientifically substantiated and proven in practice;
• the authors of the work have developed polycationic water-soluble drilling fluid systems under the collective name “Katburr” that are free from the disadvantages found in the conventional anionic systems used in the global practice;
• the newly developed drilling muds have been put into use in the construction and repair of wells at the Astrakhanskoye gas and condensate field;
• regulatory documents (in the STO Gazprom format) have been developed for the application of the polycationic drilling muds at Gazprom's facilities;
• with regard to the newly developed polycationic water-soluble drilling fluid systems, a total of 24 patents were received (in 2011–2016) and a total of 27 publications (articles in scientific journals and scientific conference papers) were made.

The use of various formulas of polycationic drilling muds will make it possible to considerably reduce risks of complications and emergencies during well construction, reduce the calendar time required for well construction by up to 30 per cent, and decrease the amounts of drilling mud waste sent for disposal.

The result of the research work offers an economic benefit resulting from the reduction of the calendar time required for well construction by up to 30 per cent, which is achieved due to the reduction of the number and the mitigation of the potential effects of the complications and emergencies that can take place during drilling operations. 

A. Potapov (supervisor of the work, Gazprom VNIIGAZ), A. Gaidarov, M. Gaidarov, A. Khubbatov, A. Sutyrin, R. Zhirnov (Gazprom VNIIGAZ), R. Ilalov (Gazprom Dobycha Astrakhan), D. Solnyshkin (Gazprom Bureniye), D. Ponomarenko (JSC “Octopus”), D. Lyugai.

Nominating company: Gazprom VNIIGAZ.

Natural gas odorant waste disposal system

The research carried out by the authors made it possible to increase the disposal efficiency of remaining odorant in transportation and storage tanks with simultaneous reduction of the burden on the environment which is associated with the conventionally applied processes, doing so through the use of ozone as oxidizing decontamination agent.

Due to a significant increase in the number of decommissioned odorant storage tanks observed within the gas distribution system of Gazprom, it became required to create a new eco-friendly technology for the treatment of highly toxic waste that would serve to provide a comprehensive treatment of the waste already accumulated and newly generated as a result of natural gas odorization.

The authors proposed a new method which implies ozone treatment of highly toxic odorant waste products, resulting in obtaining aqueous solution of sulphosalts and generating waste of Hazard Classes IV-V (waste of low-hazard and virtually non-hazardous to human health and the environment).

The results achieved in the course of the research work are as follows:

• a method to reduce the toxicity of odorant waste products has been developed; it implies exhaustive oxidation of organic sulphur compounds by ozone with their conversion into sulphosalts;
• an automated mobile complex for the treatment of natural gas odorant waste products (hereinafter the “Complex”) has been put into commercial operation; the Complex has been approved by the State Ecological Expertise and the expert review of industrial safety.

The Complex, which is housed in a standard maritime container, has the following distinctive features:

• mobility;
• operational independence;
• high capacity;
• low operational costs;
• during and after the treatment process, waste products of Hazard Classes IV-V are generated, which can be used as secondary raw materials.

The authors have received 2 patents for the findings.

V. Subbotin (supervisor of the work, Gazprom Transgaz Samara), V. Grabovets, D. Neretin, K. Shabanov (Gazprom Transgaz Samara), R. Distanov, S. Konyaev (Gazprom), O. Bogdanov (NIIgazeconomika), D. Bykov, A. Pimenov (Samara State Technological University).

Nominating company: Gazprom Transgaz Samara.

Gas-oil heat exchanger as an energy-efficient solution for gas transmission

The authors have accomplished the task of increasing the energy-efficiency of gas compressor units (GCUs) through the recovery of waste heat from lubricating oil (that is used in the gas turbine drive and compressor) to be discarded from the unit, which occurs while heating fuel gas in gas-oil heat exchangers instead of using air cooling units for oil, as well as the task of saving natural gas and electric power which is related to said innovation.

A new solution has been developed: heat exchangers have been fitted with a safety “buffer” cavity to prevent the mixing of heat carriers in the event of loss of integrity in heat exchanger tubes or channels.

In the course of the research work:

• cutting-edge technologies have been developed for vacuum soldering of heat exchanging packages in plate-fin heat exchangers, which is designed to provide for a medium operating pressure of up to 7.5 MPa for such packages. The adoption of this technology made it possible to consider the possibility of manufacturing plate-fin heat exchangers designed for a pressure of up to 11 MPa for natural gas liquefaction projects;
• plate-fin heat exchangers with a safety buffer cavity have been put into production;
• a technology for the manufacture of a “safety tube” has been developed and adopted for shell-and-tube gas-oil heat exchangers;
• innovative special instruments and appliances have been developed for manufacturing: the “safety tube” for shell-and-tube gas-oil heat exchangers; turbulators that increase the heat-transfer coefficient of fuel gas; finned surface of plate-fin heat exchangers;
• a test and research bench has been developed for verifying thermal and hydraulic calculations related to gas-oil heat exchangers, as well as for checking the heat transfer characteristics of heat exchange surfaces;
• standardization of design solutions for different types of gas turbine engines used as GCU drives – i. e. plate-fin heat exchangers designed for a fuel gas pressure of up to 7.5 MPa and shell-and-tube heat exchangers designed for a fuel gas pressure of up to 12 MPa – has been performed, and the guidelines for their use have been provided to GCU manufacturers.

A total of 186 gas-oil heat exchangers of various structural types, including 106 shell-and-tube and 80 plate-fin heat exchangers, have been manufactured since 2009.

The authors have received patents for 1 invention and 5 utility models.

V. Nikitin (supervisor of the work, Gazprom), S. Adamenko, E. Vasilyev, A. Kaidash, E. Terentyev (Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta), V. Seredyonok (Gazprom), Yu. Belousov, N. Vereshchagin (GAZKHOLODTEСHNIKA).

Nominating company: Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta.

Adopting and launching the output of jet fuel at the Condensate Treatment Plant of Gazprom Pererabotka in order to provide jet fuel across the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area and meet Gazprom’s strategic objectives in the region

The research work introduces a technology for producing jet engine kerosene from unstable gas condensate which has been adopted at the Condensate Treatment Plant of Gazprom Pererabotka (Novy Urengoy).

In the course of their work, the authors have created a processing method for feedstock, i.e. unstable gas condensate, which is based on fractionation with the recovery of kerosene fraction (140–240 °С), and have performed the required adaptation of the existing equipment (introduction of changes in the equipment piping).

The distinctive feature of the new technology, as opposed to the technologies of other production plants, is the production of high-quality straight-run fuel with the weight content of total sulfur not exceeding 0.20 per cent without the need for expensive hydrotreatment of kerosene fraction and further use of additives. Such a result has been achieved due to the availability of low-sulfur feedstock at the Condensate Treatment Plant.

No other technology for producing jet fuel from unstable gas condensate has ever been developed in Russia before; a patent for invention confirms the novelty of said technology.

In terms of all quality indicators, the fuel produced by the Condensate Treatment Plant not only complies with the requirements of the GOST 10227–86 standard applied to the TS-1 fuel grade, but also has a significant quality giveaway.

The implementation of the developed solutions has allowed Gazprom Pererabotka to ensure:

• the use of process equipment of the Condensate Treatment Plant, which becomes not required for the production of diesel fuel with high sulfur content, for producing a new commercial item – the TS-1 jet fuel;
• expansion of the plant's range of commercial products and improvement of the plant's product competitiveness;
• preservation of workplaces for the employees who are working at diesel fuel production units;
• reduction of transportation costs to cover the needs of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous area for high-quality jet fuel.

A. Ishmurzin (supervisor of the work, Gazprom Pererabotka), E. Afanasyev, I. Chernukhin, R. Gaisin, O. Obukhov, P. Solodov (Gazprom Pererabotka).

Nominating company: Gazprom Pererabotka.

Designing and installing a gas metering system at the entrance to a CNG filling station

The authors have accomplished the task of ensuring mandatory metering of gas entering CNG filling stations as envisaged by Russian Government Directive No. 162 dated July 23, 2015, on the Approval of Gas Supply Regulations in the Russian Federation.

In the course of the research work:

• gas flow conditions in the supply gas pipeline to a CNG filling station have been examined, and the key parameters of the metering system in various operating modes of the equipment have been defined;
• the required algorithms have been developed and embedded into the data signal processing module in the flow meter modifications, which makes it possible to monitor and assess the established flow direction and its profile in the longitudinal and transversal planes of the metering pipeline;
• special software has been developed to process and store the accumulated data;
• batch production of domestic sensors that are not inferior in their characteristics to foreign equivalents has been launched;
• a system for the flow meter self-diagnostics has been developed and put into use, which makes it possible to control all required operating parameters of the metering system;
• as a result of functional testing performed at Gazprom Transgaz Moscow, the Turbo Flow UFG metering complex has been included into the list of measurement instruments recommended for use at Gazprom's facilities as the only gas metering system to be applied at the entrance to a CNG filling station.

The solution is patented.

E. Smirnov (supervisor of the work, Gazprom Transgaz Moscow), S. Boyko, S. Goncharov, D. Sedykh, Yu. Tolstikhin (Gazprom Transgaz Moscow), D. Sverchkov (Gazprom), O. Babaev (Gazprom Gazomotornoye Toplivo), I. Amural, R. Donchenko, A. Slonko (Turbo-Don SKTB (Special Design and Technological Bureau)).

Nominating company: Gazprom Transgaz Moscow.