Gazprom Neft begins developing Otdalennaya group of fields, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Gazprom Neft has confirmed its strategy for implementation of a new major project — the development of the Otdalennaya (the “Remote”) group of fields, located in the southern part of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Adopting this decision will unite Gazprom Neft’s assets in the Krasnoselkupsky and Purovsky districts of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug — the Chatylkinskoye, Zapadno-Chatylkinskoye, Kholmistoye, Vorgenskoye, Ravninnoye and Yuzhno-Udmurtskoye fields, as well as other prospects — into a single cluster. Gazpromneft-Noyabrskneftegaz has been selected as Operator in developing this major new project.
Peak production at the Otdalennaya group of fields is expected to be reached in 2025, at around three million tonnes of oil per year. The project will be brought into commercial production in the shortest possible time thanks to the development of transport infrastructure in the south of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the benefit of synergies with other Gazprom Neft assets around Noyabrsk. Commercial oil production at the Zapadno-Chatylkinskoye field, which has more than 40 million tonnes of reserves in place, will commence as early as 2018.
Gazprom Neft plans to decide on the means of utilising associated petroleum gas (APG) at the Otdalennaya group of fields by the end of 2017. Crude could be sent to the Ety-Purovsky Gazpromneft-Muravlenko compressor station prior to its launch, or to the SIBUR-owned Vyngapurovsky gas processing plant. Gazprom Neft is considering the installation of gas infrastructure as one of the key requirements for commencement of full-scale oil production.
Vadim Yakovlev, First Deputy CEO, Gazprom Neft, commented: “In commissioning the Otdalennaya group of fields we are focussing on the development of traditional reserves that don’t, as of now, require the application of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques. High launch production levels, the quality of the oil, and its similarity to Brent crude, give rise to highly favourable conditions for the implementation of this project, as well as laying the foundations for the further expansion of the Gazpromneft-Noyabrskneftegaz resource base in this region.”