The State Mineral Reserve Commission has approved a new methodology for conducting offshore 4D seismic surveys
The Federal State Budgetary Institution “State Commission on Mineral Reserves” has approved a document developed by PJSC Gazprom and its subsidiary, Gazprom Nedra LLC, in collaboration with Gazprom VNIIGAZ LLC, the Marine Arctic Geological Exploration Expedition JSC, and the Lomonosov Moscow State University Oil and Gas Research Center LLC, titled “Methodological Guidelines for Conducting 4D Seismic Surveys Using Seafloor Systems at Offshore Fields of the Russian Federation”.
Until recently, oil and gas fields monitoring was conducted through specialized observation wells. They helped track changes in the boundaries between oil, gas and water within the reservoir. Over time, these boundaries shift upward as extracted hydrocarbons are replaced by water. For effective field management, new observation wells need to be drilled approximately every 5–7 years, creating a substantial financial burden for production companies.
An innovative method for monitoring offshore fields, which has already proven successful in testing, offers a cost-effective alternative. Instead of drilling expensive observation wells, seismic surveys can be conducted at similar intervals using domestically produced stations deployed across the seafloor of the entire field. By comparing seismic models collected over the years, specialists can evaluate production efficiency and, if needed, make adjustments to the field development plan.
-nakhodyatsya-na-dne-morya-do-50-sutok-i-vedut-nepreryvnuyu-zapis-akusticheskogo-fona.jpg "4D seismic survey using nodes is a fundamentally new geophysical tool")
Modern marine seismic exploration technologies enable the recording of various wave types, including both longitudinal and converted shear waves. Software allows the for high-quality processing and interpretation of this data, providing effective solutions for field monitoring.
The team of Gazprom Nedra Offshore Geological Exploration and Seismic Survey Department
The 4D monitoring approaches outlined in the Guidelines were tested over several years at PJSC Gazprom’s offshore fields in the Sea of Okhotsk, delivering excellent results. The methodology is recommended for use by subsoil users developing offshore hydrocarbon fields in the Russian Federation.
“This technology represents a logical step in the evolution of the oil and gas industry. It allows for a significant extension of stable offshore hydrocarbon production, prevents the premature flooding of production wells, and improves oil and gas recovery from productive reservoirs, making it possible to extract reserves that were previously considered technologically unreachable,” noted Alexey Ovechkin, General Director of Gazprom Nedra LLC.
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Gazprom Nedra LLC is a 100 % subsidiary company of PAO Gazprom and ranks among the major Russian multi-business oil and gas service companies. In 2019 Company production potential was expanded due to integration of Gazprom Georesurs LLC and Gazprom Geologorazvedka LLC assets.The Company carries out a complete centrally managed cycle of exploration works in the RF and provides its clients with a wide range of unique geophysical and geoengineering services.
Gazprom Nedra LLC is the main source of Gazprom Group geophysical data in the sphere of raw materials production, reduction of operational expenses and geophysical activities efficiency evaluation, calculation of gas deposit and storage reserves, and environmental safety assurance.
Company subdivisions are located in all gas producing regions of Russia. Its staff totals over 4,000 people. Company administration offices are located in St. Petersburg and Tyumen. The Company uses a quality management system based on the GOST ISO 9001 standard, a health and safety management system in accordance with ISO45001 and an environmental management system which meets the requirements of the international standard ISO 14001:2015 (GOST R ISO 14001).