JOINT VENTURE STARTS RUSSIAN OIL FIELD FLOW
A U.S.-Russian joint venture has started oil production from North Gubkinskoye oil field in western Siberia.
Geoilbent Ltd. began initial production of about 500 b/d from three wells into its recently completed 37 mile pipeline, which has a design capacity of 75,000 b/d of oil.
Geoilbent is a joint venture among Benton Oil & Gas Co., Oxnard, Calif., 34%, and two Russian partners, Purneftegasgeologia Industrial Association (PIA) and Purneftegas, each with a 33/3% interest. PIA found North Gubkinskoye field and delineated it with more than 60 wells.
FIELD OPERATIONS
The field, which covers an area about 15 miles long and 4 miles wide, was production tested during the 1980s. It has many oil and gas sands but has never been commercially produced.
With reserves estimated at 312 million bbl of oil and 45 billion bbl of condensate, North Gubkinskoye is one of the larger fields in the region, Benton said.
Of the 60 delineation wells, Geoilbent has identified nine capable of production. The venture expects all nine to be on stream in the third quarter at a combined rate of 1,500 b/d.
Benton said the delineation wells were not originally intended by PIA to be commercial producers. So completion procedures for optimum production were not employed. Production rates from future wells using western completion technologies are expected to be significantly higher.
Meantime, to minimize its investment and benefit from the favorable dollar/ruble exchange rate, the joint venture is using Russian drilling equipment.
Geoilbent has spudded its first well in North Gubkinskoye. A Russian rig on drilling pad K29 began the first in a series of development wells.
A second Russian rig, operating in the center of the field on pad K18, is to begin drilling in the third quarter. This rig will drill several development wells to offset delineation well No. 57, which produced at rates of 4,500 b/d.
The rigs have been upgraded with western technology and material, including shaker screens, mud monitoring equipment, and drilling and completion fluids.
Ultimate development plans for North Gubkinskoye involve drilling an estimated 232 single completion and 135 dual completion wells during the next 8 years.
Geoilbent received approval from the Russian Ministry of Fuel and Energy to begin exporting oil in second half 1993. Transneft, the state owned Russian oil pipeline company, scheduled Geoilbent into its monthly transportation planning.
Copyright 1993 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.