Innovations in Geological Prospecting and Reservoir Engineering in OAO TATNEFT's License Blocks
Authors: Khisamov R. S. , Bazarevskaya V. G. , Ekimenko V. A. , Bazarevskaya N. I. 
Published: October 2015

The objective of the work is to provide for competitive ability of the Company in the light of changing external market situation.

Novel scientific and technological solutions that ensure innovation-based growth of the Company have been developed. Innovative upstream and downstream technologies allow increasing geological prospecting effectiveness, increment of hydrocarbon reserves and enhanced production. Among the innovative technologies developed and widely used by the Company are the following: –Integration of CDP 2D, 3D seismic survey and low-cost geological prospecting technologies (geological-geochemical survey methods, neuroseismic methods, etc.) to optimize geological prospecting. Cost effectiveness analysis and improvement of well survey methods (wireline formation testing, side wall coring, coring, variable density logging, gamma-ray spectrometric logging, pulse neutron generator, microimager- MCI, MPAL, offset vertical seismic profiling).–Methods to investigate the sedimentary mantle cross-section in naturally-fractured and tight rocks to evaluate the hydrocarbon potential and oil reserves in the long term.–G&G model and geochemical model of the sedimentary mantle with the objective to work out a strategy of geological prospecting of non-conventional reserves in domanik sediments, heavy oil, and natural bitumen.

Oil reserves increment due to development of novel geological prospecting methods and technologies applied in new exploration targets and small-sized structures, re-evaluation of reserves of fields under development, commercial development of nonconventional carbonate low-permeability reservoirs, domanikites and domanikoids, heavy oil accumulations, increase of oil recovery factor in fields under development–all these are the most important conditions of sustainable industrial and social development of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Introduction on a commercial scale of scientifically-based methods and technologies allowed increasing exploratory drilling success ratio to 75 %, exploratory wells–to 81 % in the Republic of Tatarstan, and from 20 % to 56 % outside Tatarstan, in PJSC TATNEFT license areas.

The paper demonstrates that the task of effective development of non-conventional oil reserves is being successfully solved. New reservoir engineering technologies have been worked out in the process of oil fields' development.

A significant factor contributing to the effectiveness of works aimed at reserves increment, development of non-conventional reserves, and oil recovery increase is the governmental support by way of tax incentives regarding production of depleted fields with cumulative production of OOIP more than 80 %, development of new small-sized fields, production of heavy oil reserves and reserves of domanikite and domanikoid sediments.

The novel geological prospecting and reservoir engineering technologies developed and tested by PJSC TATNEFT hold great potential for petroleum industry. The technologies and equipment that have been developed in the process of non-conventional hydrocarbon reserves production can be used for development of similar reserves in other Russian regions.