Oleg Andreev: Bringing Valanginian deposits of Zapolyarnoye field into operation is our top priority project now
Overview
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Gazprom is commissioning new production facilities as part of the long-term strategy aimed at the production buildup. In October 2010 natural gas from the Yareyskaya area of the Yamsoveyskoye field and the Zapadno-Pestsovaya area of the Urengoyskoye field was conveyed into the Unified Gas Supply System.
April 2011 was marked by the launch of production from the Valanginian deposits of the Zapolyarnoye field. Oleg Andreev, Director General of Gazprom dobycha Yamburg informed the Gazprom website Editorial Board on the project execution.
- What is the development plan for the Valanginian deposits project?
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Development of the Valanginian deposits stipulates bringing onstream two gas and gas condensate production facilities. These are two comprehensive gas treatment units (No.1C and No.2C), 140 wells, gas pipelines and a condensate pipeline.
Capable of producing 6.5 billion cubic meters of gas and 1.3 million tons of gas condensate per year, comprehensive gas treatment unit (CGTU) No.2C has been built and put onstream. CGTU No.1C is being constructed now. It will be more efficient and produce some 9 billion cubic meters of gas and 2 million tons of gas condensate per year. We have drilled 61 wells at the CGTU No.2C site and 79 wells are expected to be drilled for CGTU No.1C.
Thus, the Valanginian deposits of the Zapolyarnoye field will annually yield some 15 billion cubic meters of gas and 3 million tons of gas condensate.
- How well are the Valanginian deposits of the Zapolyarnoye field explored, how much gas and gas condensate do they contain and what are the prospects for the follow-up exploration?
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The Valanginian deposits of the Zapolyarnoye field are fully explored. The gas reserves are estimated at 755 billion cubic meters with C1 (explored) reserves, making up the bulk of them, amount to 735 billion cubic meters and C2 (provisionally estimated) reserves – 20 billion only. Gas condensate offers the following opportunities: in-place C1+C2 reserves – 137 million tons with 90.5 million tons of recoverable reserves. The information will be updated in the course of production operations.
- How was the project progressing over the period of low demand caused by the crisis events? When are you expecting to reach the plateau period?
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Bringing the Valanginian deposits of the Zapolyarnoye field into operation is the top priority project for our company now. Initially, the field was to be commissioned in 2009, but the crisis reduced gas demand and there was no need for extra production capacity at that time – therefore, the launch of the field facilities was postponed. Exactly for the same external reason commissioning of another facility, CGTU No.1C, was delayed. Now, the demand is recovering and we expect to reach the nominal capacity by 2013.
- This is the first experience of Gazprom dobycha Yamburg in developing the Valanginian reservoirs in the Zapolyarnoye field. When can the company launch production from deeper horizons of the Zapolyarnoye field? Are you going to develop the Achimov deposits in other fields?
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Gazprom dobycha Yamburg has been developing the Valanginian deposits of the Yamburgskoye field for more than 20 years now. Therefore, developing of the Zapolyarnoye deep horizons is nothing new for us. In fact, I can see no complications here at all. There is a slight change in technology. We used low-temperature absorption in the Yamburgskoye field and we are using low-temperature separation in the Zapolyarnoye field. In general, we are having no difficulties with this development plan.
As for deeper horizons development, we are looking at it as well. First of all, we will operate the Achimov and Jurassic deposits in the Yamburgskoye field. The Achimov deposits have been already discovered there. Later on, if prospecting shows that similar deposits are available in the Zapolyarnoye field, we will also operate them.