OREANDA-NEWS.  February 14, 2014. The jubilee summary meeting of the Volga-Kama Regional Branch of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences was held on the premises of "Aznakaevneft" Oil and Gas Production Board of JSC TATNEFT in Aznakaevo (Republic of Tatarstan).

The meeting was attended by eminent scientists, doctors of science and professors from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan and Bugulma, as well as managers and senior staff of a number of structural divisions of JSC TATNEFT.

The Annual Meeting was opened by R. Muslimov, Chairman of the Volga-Kama Section, State Advisor to the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Doctor of Technical Sciences and Academician, who focused in his speech on issues of the situation in the country and in the world as well as crude oil production news.

A report on "Development of heavy oil and natural bitumen fields in the Republic of Tatarstan" was presented to the audience by Nail Ibragimov, First Deputy General Director for Production - Chief Engineer of JSC TATNEFT.

He said in his speech that the primary area of extra-viscous oil deposits (EVO) for TATNEFT Company is Cheremshano - Bastrykskaya zone (CHBZ).

Following the development and introduction of new drilling technologies and transition from vertical to horizontal wells, the daily EVO production rates increased eight to ten-fold. 57 horizontal holes have been drilled as of now.

Nail Ibragimov, presented in its report an overview of modern technologies and engineering developments applied at JSC TATNEFT in the heavy oil production. Specifically, they include a real time water injection and crude oil production monitoring system implemented in the Company. This remote access based system allows monitoring current well performance modes and providing recommendations for changing them.

Furthermore, real time automatic production well operation control has also been established at the facilities of TATNEFT. The pumping equipment operation algorithm is based on the readings of telemetry sensors installed on the pump intake, which allows   maintaining optimum operating conditions of the pumping unit.

An automated control system of extra-viscous oil treatment and delivery was also successfully implemented.

Modern machinery and equipment used for the production of EVO allowed solving basic problems arising in the EVO production. The main protected and implemented new technological solutions include the methods of controlling injection and production (intelligent well), water shutoff method (heat-resistant gel pig), method of integrated steam and chemicals stimulation and thermal insulation with application of foam concrete.

In the course of the annual meeting the event participants familiarized with the activities results of the Volga-Kama regional department of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences in 2013.
Presentations on topical issues relating to the need of increasing the level of reservoir and reservoir fluids studies, promising areas of developing new oil and gas wells design, etc. were offered to the attention of the scientists and oilmen.

The participants of the meeting pointed out the importance of further study of the issues raised and urged the governmental authorities, the public and the industry operators to support the theoretical and practical research of the scientists in this field.