Academicians from Siberian Branch of RAS and Gazprom experts discuss Yamal development issues

Taking part in the meeting were Oleg Aksyutin, Member of the Management Committee – Head of the Gas Transportation, Underground Storage and Utilization Department of Gazprom; Vsevolod Cherepanov, Head of the Gas, Gas Condensate and Oil Production Department of Gazprom; heads from SB RAS and Sergey Konovalov, Deputy Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YaNAO). The meeting was also attended by heads from Gazprom dobycha Nadym, Gazprom dobycha Noyabrsk, Gazprom dobycha Orenburg, Gazprom dobycha Urengoy, Gazprom dobycha Yamburg, VNIPIgazdobycha and representatives from local authorities of the Nadym District municipal entity.
Addressing the audience, Oleg Aksyutin emphasized that Gazprom took great care of raising environmental safety and energy efficiency. When delivering large-scale strategic projects, for instance, the Yamal megaproject, the Company is oriented at wide application of innovative technologies and cutting-edge energy saving equipment. The efforts by experienced specialists of Gazprom combined with the potential of Russia’s fundamental and applied science will step this process up.
The meeting heard reports on recent R&D by the RAS institutes in petroleum geology and geophysics, petrochemistry and construction operations in permafrost areas. Special attention was paid to the YaNAO socioeconomic advancement, biomedical, social and psychological aspects of labor activities in the Extreme North. The expertise gained may be applied by Gazprom when developing Yamal’s fields.
Following the meeting results, decisions were taken to expand the cooperation of Gazprom with the RAS institutes when implementing the Company’s large-scale strategic projects.
The Yamal Peninsula is a region of Gazprom’s strategic interests. Commercial development of Yamal’s fields will increase local gas production to 310–360 billion cubic meters per annum by 2030. Accessing the Yamal is very important for ensuring domestic gas production growth.
11 gas and 15 oil, gas and condensate fields with approximately 16 trillion cubic meters of explored and preliminary estimated gas reserves (ABC1+C2) and nearly 22 trillion cubic meters of in-place and forecast gas reserves (C3-D3) have been discovered on the Yamal Peninsula and in its adjacent offshore areas. Condensate (ABC1) and oil reserves are estimated at 230.7 and 291.8 million tons, respectively. The Bovanenkovo field is the most significant field on Yamal in terms of gas reserves (АВС1+С2) – 4.9 trillion cubic meters.
In December 2008 Gazprom commenced practical implementation of the Yamal megaproject. The Company started the operations aimed at the Bovanenkovo field development and the Bovanenkovo – Ukhta gas trunkline system (GTS) construction. Commissioning of the first startup complexes for the Cenomanian-Aptian deposits pre-development in the field and the GTS construction are scheduled for the third quarter of 2012.
Projected gas production in the field is estimated at 115 billion cubic meters per annum to be increased to 140 billion cubic meters in the long term.