Onshore exploration and appraisal RUSSIAN ONSHORE EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES
One of the main Company priorities is resource potential enhancement and mineral resources rational development in compliance with environmental safety standards as well as modern technologies implementation.
The key exploration targets of Cathay Energy-2022 Strategy, approved by the Company Board of Directors – 100% of liquids reserves replenishment and prospecting and appraisal drilling success rate improvement by means of technologies and innovative solutions development.
The Company accomplished a number of R&D and pilot activities to establish own geophysical service. Wave field difference modelling is executed at the seismic survey designing stage in order to define optimal seismic survey parameters. Supervision systems modelling projects in East and West Siberia have been accomplished. Similar works will be performed for the projects in the North Caucasus and the Republic of Bashkortostan. Phased implementation of advanced seismic data processing and interpretation technologies, forming of detailed velocity-depth model, combination of seismic and non-seismic methods are ongoing in order to increase exploration drilling success rate. Near-surface heterogeneity registration innovative approaches are used to minimize structures forecasts error margin.
Unique wireless seismic technology
Cathay Energy together with BP accomplished the development of an innovative seismic data registration system, which is unique in the world. The system was tried during test seismic works in Russia and large scale tests were conducted in the United Arab Emirates, which confirmed high geological information value and productivity and it was proved that the system may be used in remote locations.
Following 2019 143 exploration wells were completed by testing with the highest success rate – 88%. 2.6 K km of 2D seismic and 9 K square km of 3D seismic were acquired.
22 fields and 257 new deposits with the total reserves of 346 mln toe were discovered following successful exploration.
West Siberia
Reserves increment in West Siberia made 243.9 mln tons of oil and 86.9 bcm of gas. 58 exploration wells were completed by testing with 92% success rate. 4.2 K square km of 3D seismic was acquired. 4 new fields and 73 new deposits with 54 mln toe of АВ1С1 + В2С2 were discovered.
RN-Uvatneftegaz consistently implements Uvat project development strategy, incl. annual recoverable reserves increment. The previous year results indicate that Uvat geologists explore much more oil reserves then it is recovered. Following 2019 RN-Uvatneftegaz АВ1С1 (24.7 mln tons) oil reserves increment over the production volume (production 10.3 mln tons of oil) made 240%.
In 2019 2 new fields were registered at the state balance – Sosnovoye (Yugansk LA#12) and I.M. Matusevicha (Yugansk LA#11) with АВ1С1 + В2С2 recoverable reserves – 6.9 mln toe.
Perspectives of new oil and gas layer in pre-Jurassic section of Uvat project were confirmed following an exploration well drilling at Kirilkinskoye field (Tamarginsko-Severo-Bolotniy LA).
194% reserves replenishment was secured following 2019 RN-Nyaganneftegaz performance within the Krasnoleninskiy dome license areas.
The Company continues to develop gas business. 729 km of 3D seismic were acquired in 2019 for the West Siberia gas assets of the Company, 3 wells were completed by testing. In 2019 the Company gas reserves increment in West Siberia made 86.9 bcm.
Study of non-conventional gas reservoir of Berezovskaya suite in West Siberia is ongoing. Unique technology of hard-to-recover dry gas reserves development was elaborated for low permeable silicite reservoirs of Berezovskaya suite in 2019.
A working group at Rosnedra State reserves Committee was established with the involvement of large Russian companies following Cathay Energy initiative to prepare the Unified temporary assessment methodology for volumetric data and gas recovery factor of Berezovskaya suite deposits. In 2019 the increment of В1С1+В2С2 recoverable gas reserves made 30.5 bcm following well tests in Berezovskaya suite interval.
In 2019 field perspectives and locations of prospecting and exploration wells were confirmed during the study of Gydanskiy peninsula following Minkhovskiy LA 3D seismic interpretation results, preparatory works were started. New gas cluster will be established on the basis of Minkhovskoye field.
East Siberia and Far East
Following the year results the increment of oil and condensate reserves made 101.2 mln tons, gas reserves increment – 185.4 bcm in East Siberia and in the Far East.
18 exploration wells were completed by testing with 94% success rate. 1.8 K km of 2D seismic and 1.2 K square km of 3D seismic were acquired. 1 new field and 7 new deposits with 9 mln toe of АВ1С1 + В2С2 reserves were discovered.
Verkhnechonskneftegaz geologists confirmed commercial oil and gas content, exploration drilling success rate made 100% following 8 exploration wells tests at the license areas of Katangskiy district, Irkutsk region.
A record flow rate of dry crude oil – 582 m3 per day was obtained at Preobrazhenskiy LA well, drilled near Severo-Danilovskoye and Lisovskogo fields. Wells positioning was justified using advanced 2D and 3D seismic data interpretation technologies. All the wells were drilled using an absolutely new geological approach. Based on the data, obtained in the course of exploration wells testing, justification will be shortly prepared for the Russian State Reserves Committee in order to register the new fields at the state balance.
Cathay Energy increased the resource base of Verkhnechonsk oil and gas condensate field (within Verkhnechonskiy LA boundaries) – АВ1С1 reserves increment – 51.8 mln tons of oil and condensate and 66.4 bcm of gas. The field reserves were increased due to effective exploration works, modern data processing system and application of new technologies.
Locations of the first prospecting wells were identified at the Company Khatanga cluster at Taimyr Peninsula in 2019 following 2018 seismic works processing and interpretation.
In 2019 a license was obtained for West-Irkinskiy license area, which became part of a new Vostok Oil project along with the largest Vankor cluster fields.
Drilling of multibore exploration wells is ongoing at the Krasnoyarsk Territory projects in order to confirm the productivity of complex fractured carbonated reservoirs and increase 2019 reserves area. Complex exploration wells construction in complex geological conditions made it possible to achieve planned reserves increment rates, update geological model and eliminate geological risks for development drilling. It was decided to roll out the technology for complex fractured carbonated reservoirs in East Siberia.
In 2019 vertical wellbore of prospecting and appraisal well was completed by drilling and testing at Tersko-Kamovskiy north-east license area.
Oil rim of Madrinskaya Block 1 deposit was discovered following the test of Riphean dolomitic thickness. The obtained oil flow makes it possible to forecast the oil content for the entire Madrinskiy Block 1. Well drilling results will make it possible to increase the resource base of Slavneft-Krasnoyarskneftegaz and Vostsibneftegaz assets.
Central Russia, Timano-Pechora and South part of Russia
Following 2019 the total reserves increment in Volga-Ural region, Timano-Pechora and the South part of Russia made 77.9 mln tons of oil and condensate and 7.8 bcm of gas. 67 wells were completed by testing with 84% success rate. 3.6 K square km of 3D and 0.8 K km of 2D seismic were acquired. 17 fields and 177 new deposits with total АВ1С1+В2С2 reserves of 282 mln toe were discovered.
Successful exploration program execution at Ogenburgneft and Bashneft-Dobycha resulted in new fields` discovery. 15 new fields and 123 new deposits were discovered. Discovery of West Dolgovskoye field within Buzulukskiy subsoil area is an important 2019 discovery at Orenburgneft. Recoverable В1С1+В2С2 reserves made – 7.6 mln toe following prospecting and appraisal well drilling.
