Gazprom said it will complete drilling of 14 exploratory wells and acquisition of 1,200 sq km of 3D seismic data this year in Chayandinskoye field and begin exploratory drilling in Kovyktinskoye field next year.
The fields will anchor gas production centers in the developing Eastern Gas Program of East Siberia and the Russian Far East.
Gazprom expects oil production to begin at Chayandinskoye field in 2014 and gas production to start in 2017. The field will feed a production center in Yakutia.
Drilling in Kovyktinskoye field will follow 3D seismic surveys. Gazprom also is working on a pilot unit in Kovyktinskoye, which will be tied to the Irkutsk gas production center, for testing membrane technology for in-field helium extraction. Data will be used in a similar unit planned at Chayandinskoye field.
Development of the fields is synchronized with construction of the Power of Siberia gas transmission system and gas treatment facilities near Belogorsk in the Amur region.
Gazprom made the final investment decision for the predevelopment of Chayandinskoye, construction of Power of Siberia, and Belogorsk processing facilities in October 2012 (OGJ Online, Nov. 1, 2012).
