Gazprom Neft enters new stage of shale oil exploration in W. Siberia

Oct. 2, 2014
JSC Gazprom Neft reported reaching a new stage in its exploration of shale oil deposits in Western Siberia’s Krasnoleninsky field.

JSC Gazprom Neft reported reaching a new stage in its exploration of shale oil deposits in Western Siberia’s Krasnoleninsky field.

The company said Gazpromneft-Khantos has started drilling the first horizontal well in the Bazhenov complex of the Palyanovsky deposit. Four wells are planned, along with three-stage hydraulic fracturing.

During the previous stage that began in 2013, the company drilled 5 “controlled-directional” wells with hydraulic fracturing used in 4, resulting in “commercial” oil flows (OGJ Online, Aug. 9, 2013).

Another project continues in the Southern Priobskoye field, with studies of core samples and 3D seismic data from the Bazhenov-Abalak formation.

The Bazhenov formation is at depths of 2-3,000 m in central Western Siberia. At 10-40 m thick, it is “comparatively thin.” The Abalak formation underlies the Bazhenov and has thickness of 20-90 m.

The formations have “extremely low permeability, but high oil saturation,” the company said.