OREANDA-NEWS. On August 17, 2009 Tyumenneftegaz, a subsidiary of TNK-BP, drilled the first five-leg horizontal well in the Russkoe field in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, informed the Regional Public Relations Department of TNK-BP Sibir, the Tyumen branch of OJSC TNK-BP Management, reported the press-centre of TNK-BP.

The flow rate of the well exceeded the expectations, but the actual yield of the well will be known in winter after construction of a winter road to the field for export of oil.

Wells like this are drilled for production of oil in multi-factor fields. The Russkoe field is characterized by viscous oil, a large gas cap, and permafrost rocks. “This drilling technology was chosen for better coverage of the reservoir and determination of adhesion and filtration properties of reservoir rocks,” explained Evgeny Zadorozhny, General Director of Tyumenneftegaz. “The results of this new drilling technology will be evaluated after commissioning of the well.”

A total of 6,500 m was drilled in the Russkoe field in the first half of 2009. The technology of multi-hole drilling was tested in three wells in a pilot area, after which the entire volume of drill cuttings and drilling wastes was utilized and disposed of. Oil production in the first six months of the year in the field amounted to 19,000 tons, which is twice the volume of oil production in the same period last year.

Construction of the first line of a startup oil import and export complex is completed, a well pad is built, and a pilot road is constructed in the field, which is utterly important in the complete absence of infrastructure in the production area.

The Russkoe field is in the Tazovsky District of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area. Pilot operation of wells in the field was started by TNK-BP in 2007. The recoverable reserves of the field amount to 400 million tons of oil and over 85 billion cubic meters of gas.