PJSC Gazprom Neft says expected peak oil production has been doubled from Prirazlomnoye field in the Pechora Sea, 60 km offshore Russia.
Following approval of a revised production schedule by Russia’s Federal Subsoil Resources Management Agency (Rosnedra), the field’s peak production period has been lifted to 5 years from 3, and overall output during that time is now expected at 23.1 million tonnes.
New capacity and adjustments to certain aspects of production and transportation systems should result in peak output volumes reaching 4.8 million tonnes/year, Gazprom Neft says.
Prirazlomnaya output in 2015 totaled 800,000 tonnes, more than 2.5 times that of 2014, when the field produced its one-millionth barrel (OGJ Online Sept. 15, 2014). A second well was brought on production last summer (OGJ Online, Aug. 21, 2015).
The Russian firm explains that the peak production period has been extended as a result of close analysis of accumulated data, leading to greater efficiency in field development and allowing the number of wells drilled to be reduced to 32 from 36.
“The experience we have gained in working on Prirazlomnoye field has significantly improved efficiency in developing the field, and we are continuing to develop the first oil-production project on the Russian Arctic shelf,” commented Gennady Lubin Gazpromneft Shelf general director.
Prirazlomnoye field, discovered in 1989, holds 70 million tonnes of recoverable reserves.
Development involved installation of the Prirazlomnaya offshore rig, designed for use in extreme environmental conditions and to withstand maximum ice-loads. Drilling of the first well began in 2013, with the Prirazlomnaya offshore stationary ice platform starting commercial production in December of that year.
The new Russian oil blend produced from Prirazlomnaya is known as “Arctic Oil” (ARCO), the first deliveries of which were shipped in April 2014 (OGJ Online, Apr. 21, 2014).
