LUKOIL Overseas: the results of the 2009

The victory of LUKOIL Overseas in the tender for the right of services’ rendering at the giant oil field West Qurna-2 in Iraq became the most considerable event of 2009. Following the results of the tender the protocol is signed and the contract for a period of 20 years with the right of prolongation to 5 years is initiated. The contract parties are LUKOIL (56.25 %), Statoil (18.75 %) and the Iraq oil company North Oil Company (25%) as the companies-contractors and the Iraq company South Oil Company, acting on behalf of the state. West Qurna-2 – one of the largest not developed oil fields in the world, capable at achievement of planned level to provide annual production of 95 million tons of oil within 13 years.
The main technological innovation of the year 2009 is connected with the fact that LUKOIL Overseas has started deep water drilling on an oceanic shelf of Ghana for the first time of Russian oil and gas industry history. Work is undertaken within framework of Cape Three Points Deep Water project on structure Dzata in Gulf of Guinea basin on  the depth about 2000 meters. Depth of the well is about 3 thousand meters. High technologies, materials, tools and the equipment are involved in the drilling process. Global Santa Fe, the world leader at the sea drilling presented the program of works, offshore drilling rig Sedco-702 is provided by Transocean. After the large oil and gas openings made during the last years on a shelf of Ghana, this area is one of the most attractive for exploration in West Africa.
One of the greatest achievements of the year 2009 is a start-up of large complexes for associated gas utilization at Northern Buzachi and Kumkol oil fields in west Kazakhstan. Realization of the gas program gives not only ecological and economical, but also social effect. In particular, the large gas-utilization factory on Kumkol, cost of 92 million dollars, calculated for annual utilization of 150 million cubic meters of associated oil gas, makes as dry, and liquefied gas (the propane-butane mix). Thus dry gas is used for own needs of a oilfield and goes on a gas turbine station for electric power development including for needs of region, and liquefied gas in full arrives on the market as highly effective household and motor fuel.
On the structure Western Aral in Ustyurt Region of Uzbekistan within the limits of the project Aral began drilling of the first exploration oil-well. Earlier within two years on water, land and transit areas of Aral Sea basin in difficult cross-country conditions and absence of an infrastructure qualitative seismic prospecting in volume about 3000 running km has been done. As a result revealed five perspective structures were discovered – besides Western Aral, it is Umid, Ak-Tepe, Kinderli and Shagala.
In Saudi Arabia the new stage of Block A project implementation - drilling of test well has begun. The first test well is drilled on structure Tukhman in deserts Rub al-Khali (Eastern Province) where in 2007 industrial stocks of gas and a gas condensate were opened.
In Egypt LUKOIL Overseas has a perspective field with the proved oil reserves. The district closely adjoins block WEEM where LUKOIL Overseas conducts an industrial oil production since 2001. Thereafter, the new project is named WEEM Extension. After carrying out of additional seismic survey on the most perspective structures of a field drilling of exploration and production wells will begin.