OREANDA-NEWS. July 1, 2009. The specialists of Turkmengeologiya State Concern successfully completed to test two new exploration drill holes in the largest gas field in the east of Turkmenistan – Southern Yoloten-Osman. In wells 24-25 at a depth of 4,500-4,600 metres gas industry workers received the thick gas discharges with the free production rate of up to one million cubic metres a day.

According to Turkmengeologiya State Concern the drilling activity is carried out under the audit programme to confirm the prediction about the common gas reserves in the fields of Southern Yoloten and Osman. The programme developed by the Turkmen geologists and approved by the British experts of Gaffney, Cline & Associates provides for drilling four wells in the oil-and-gas-bearing depressions. While testing the first two wells natural gas was received in the Oxford carbonate reservoir. This is the same bed where the largest gas-bearing areas in both fields were discovered. Thus, the results of the exploratory drilling activities proved the Turkmen geologists’ forecast based on the seismic research results.

Under the service contract concluded with Turkmengeologiya State Concern Chinese CNPC is to drill some of the wells. Modern technologies and equipment allow Chinese specialists to conduct exploration drilling in the shortest possible time. Currently they are engaged in drilling two deep wells at a depth of over 3,000 metres.

The large-scale exploration drilling programme was launched in Southern Yoloten and Osman to confirm the ultimate reserves of the field. The programme provides for drilling of dozens of gas collectors in the borderland and inner part of this unique field. The results of exploration drilling will allow the specialists to transfer the expected reserves to the category of ultimate reserves. As is known, according to the results the audit conducted by the British firm Gaffney, Cline & Associates last year this field ranked among the top four largest gas deposits in the world. The expected reserves in Southern Yoloten-Osman are estimated at 14 trillion cubic metres.

Exploration drilling is conducted along with seismic research with the help of the 3D seismic survey method, which will cover the entire territory of this unique oil-and-gas accumulation region. The geological field model will be developed to ensure the high effectiveness of long-term commercial production of pool.

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov set the task to oil and gas workers to accelerate construction and development of the fields already explored. These include the natural gas deposits with the reserves ranking the fourth and fifth in the world. In its turn, it increases the demand for Turkmen ‘blue fuel’ in the world market.

The large-scale works to construction of facilities in Southern Yoloten-Osman will be launched in the near future. On the instructions of the President of Turkmenistan Turkmengaz State Concern and the State Development Bank of China concluded the loan agreement amounted to USD 4 million to implement this project. A number of the foreign companies including the Chinese firms will provide services on field facilities construction.

Placing this huge deposit on production will significantly enhance the profound potential of the gas fields in Turkmenistan. Undoubtedly, this will provide the firm guarantees of long-term export of Turkmen gas to partners. The programme on oil and gas industry development till 2030 provides for an increase in gas export up to 140 billion cubic metres a year by 2015.