Explored hydrocarbon reserves in the world are huge, but not all oil fields are developed. The main reason for “downtime” is economic inexpediency. Many oil-bearing layers occur at great depths, or (and) in places difficult to develop. The first major Odoptu deposit on the island shelf of Sakhalin was discovered by Soviet geologists in 1977, but only decades later, with the changing market conditions and the development of new technologies, the extraction of Sakhalin black gold became profitable.
Potential
Within the framework of Sakhalin-1, three oil and gas fields are being developed and exploited - these are Odoptu, Chayvo and Arkutun-Dagi. They are located northeast of Sakhalin on the shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk. Their potentially recoverable reserves are huge (but not record) - 2.3 billion barrels of oil, 485 billion m 3 of gas.
If we take into account the total capacities of the interconnected Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 working projects, as well as the Sakhalin-3, which is at the initial stage of operation, the total reserves of extracted gas in this region exceed 2.4 trillion m 3 , and oil - more than 3.2 billion barrels. It is no coincidence that journalists call the island "second Kuwait."
However, production at these fields is complicated by the presence of pack ice up to one and a half meters thick for six to seven months a year, as well as strong excitement and seismic activity throughout the year. The need to overcome obstacles associated with harsh weather conditions and to create the entire oil and gas infrastructure in this remote area determined the unique nature of the tasks facing the project.
Project history
Long before the implementation of the Sakhalin-1 project, geologists understood that the island’s hydrocarbon resources were located offshore, offshore, but their reserves were not known. In the 70s, Sakhalinmorneftegaz took up the determination of the volume of deposits. Then, the SODEKO consortium from neighboring Japan joined the exploration work, today it is one of the project participants.
In 1977, the Odoptu gas field was first discovered on the Sakhalin shelf, a year later the Chayvo field, and 10 years later, Arkutun Dagi. Thus, Sakhalin Island has become potentially attractive for hydrocarbon production. However, the lack of proper investment and technological developments prevented the start of development at that time.
Breakthrough
By the beginning of the 21st century, the situation in the region had changed. The growing needs of the most powerful economies in the world - Japanese and Korean, as well as the rising cost of energy resources, have made the Sakhalin-1 project payback. A large investment, and most importantly, technological assistance was provided by Exxon-Mobil Corporation (EM). The participation of a highly professional team with 85 years of experience in developing oil and gas fields in the Arctic climate has solved many problems.
At the moment, the actual operator of the project is the "daughter" of EM corporation Exxon Neftegas Limited. It lies the main production activity. The consortium additionally solves a number of socio-economic projects in the Sakhalin Region and neighboring Khabarovsk Territory, among which are the development of the local economy, the training and education of professional Russian personnel, social programs, charity, and more.
Consortium members
This oil and gas project is an example of successful international cooperation in difficult geophysical, climatic, and geographical conditions. To implement the project, their efforts combined:
- Megacorporation Exxon Mobil (USA): 30% of the shares (due to sanctions, further participation of the American company is in doubt).
- SODECO Consortium (Japan): 30%.
- RGK Rosneft through the controlled entities Sakhalinmorneftegaz-Shelf (11.5%) and RN-Astra (8.5%).
- GNK ONGK Videsh Ltd (India): 20%.
The city of Okha became the capital of the Sakhalin oil industry.
Working programm
At the initial stage of Sakhalin-1, the Chayvo field was developed using the Orlan offshore platform and the Yastreb drilling rig. In early October 2005, a decade after the start of development, the first oil was produced at the Chayvo field. As a result of the completion at the end of 2006 of the construction of the Coastal Production Preparation Complex (BCP), the volume of production in February 2007 reached 250,000 barrels (34,000 tons) of oil per day. At the next stages of the project, development of gas reserves at Chayvo for export supplies began.
Then, the Hawk was transferred to the neighboring Odoptu field for further drilling and hydrocarbon production. Both gas and oil come from the fields to the BKP, after which the oil is transported to the terminal in the village of De-Kastri (the mainland of the Khabarovsk Territory, on the coast of the Tatar Strait) for further export shipment, and gas comes from Sakhalin to the domestic market.
The next stage began with the development of the third field (the largest in area) Arkutun-Dagi and gas from Chayvo, which will guarantee the production of hydrocarbons until 2050. In order to increase economic efficiency and improve the operation process, unique practical experience acquired during the first stage of development is taken into account.
Drilling rig "Hawk"
The development of oil and gas in this area is associated with the solution of the most complex tasks posed by nature. Severe climatic conditions, powerful ice fields in the shelf, features of the geological structure, he required the oil industry to apply advanced installations.
The pride of the whole project was the Yastreb drilling rig, on the “conscience” of which there were several world records for the length and speed of drilled wells. This is one of the most powerful ground-based installations in the world. The 70-meter unit, designed for operation in seismically active and cold Arctic regions, allows you to drill extra-long wells, first in the vertical and then in the horizontal direction under the seabed with a total barrel length of over 11 kilometers.
When drilling these wells, several world records have already been set for the length of the trunk - by the way, it was here that the record-breaking Z42 well was drilled with a length of 12,700 meters (June 2013). Thanks to the use of high-speed drilling technology owned by Exxon Mobil Corporation, Sakhalin-1 wells were passed record-high.
With the help of the “Hawk”, wells are drilled from the shore underground under an incline towards the occurrence of shelf deposits, thereby reducing the load on the unique nature reserve of these places. In addition, the relatively compact installation replaces large structures that would need to be built on the high seas in the most difficult ice conditions in winter. As a result, operating and capital costs are greatly saved . After completing work at the Chayvo field, the Hawk was modernized and relocated to the development of the neighboring Odoptu field.
Platform "Orlan"
In addition to the “Yastreb” ground installation, the Sakhalin-1 gas and oil fields are being developed by another “proud bird” - the Orlan offshore production platform. The platform extracts minerals in the southwestern region of the Chayvo field.
A 50-meter gravitational-type structure is installed at the bottom of the Sea of Okhotsk, its depth at this place is 14 meters. Since 2005, Orlan has drilled 20 wells. Together with the 21st well, which was carried out by the Hawk from the shore, the number of such wells is a record for the oil and gas sector in one field. As a result, oil production increased many times over.
At Orlan, 9 months a year surrounded by ice, work involves solving previously unknown production problems for the country. In addition to difficult seismic and climatic conditions, complicated logistical problems are solved here.
Platform "Golden eagle"
This is the latest platform, assembled at the shipyards of South Korea and safely delivered in 2014 to the Arkutun-Dagi field. The characteristics of the Golden Eagle are even more impressive than those of the Orlan. During the transportation (which is 2600 km) there was not a single incident. The structure is designed to withstand two-meter ice and 18-meter waves at -44 ˚C.
Onshore processing facilities
Hydrocarbons extracted from the Chayvo and Odoptu fields are supplied to the oil refining complex. Here there is a separation of gas, water and oil, its stabilization for subsequent transportation for export through a modern oil-loading terminal in the village of De-Kastri, gas purification for domestic consumers. The fully autonomous refinery is designed to process approximately 250,000 barrels of oil and an additional 22.4 million m 3 of gas per day.
During the construction of the BKP, the designers used the large-modular construction method. The plant is like a designer assembled from 45 different-height modules. All facilities are designed specifically to operate in the Far Eastern harsh climate. Most structures are metal, withstand low temperatures up to -40 ° C.
A unique 830-meter bridge was built to deliver heavy modules to a construction site across Chayvo Bay. Thanks to this construction, the island of Sakhalin is a kind of record holder - the bridge is considered to be unsurpassedly strong, surpassing in length the gigantic passages through the greatest rivers of Siberia - the Ob and Irtysh. The construction was also useful for reindeer herders - the path to taiga camps was significantly reduced.
Export potential
The entire Sakhalin-1, 2, 3 complex was built with an eye to resource exports. Having at hand the "bottomless" economy of Japan, no less powerful in South Korea, it is a sin not to use the advantageous geographical location of hydrocarbon-rich deposits. In addition, the project allows a significant portion of raw materials (mainly gas) to be transported to the "Big Land" (mainland Russia). The main importers of Okhotsk oil are Japan and South Korea.
Export technology is as follows:
- Gas and oil are supplied through wells to the BKP plant.
- Then, from the coastal complex, through the pipeline laid through the Tatar Strait, the raw materials are left to the village of De Kastri at the specially equipped state-of-the-art export terminal.
- Most of the gas goes to Russian consumers, and oil accumulates in huge tanks, from where it is shipped to the tanker through a remote berth.
De Kastri Terminal
The development of oil fields in the Far East demanded to resolve the issue of unimpeded transportation of raw materials. It was decided to place the terminal not on Sakhalin, but on the mainland - in the port of De Kastri. Black gold comes here through pipes, and then by oil tankers. The terminal was built "from scratch", using the latest technologies.
Thanks to the terminal, the local population received additional high-paying jobs, orders for regional transport and service enterprises appeared, and the socio-social and communal infrastructure of the village improved.
For year-round transportation, the design and construction of unique tankers for the harsh ice conditions of the Afromax class and the accompanying icebreakers were required. During the 5 years of operation of the terminal, 460 tankers were shipped without a single incident. In total, over 45 million tons of oil passed through the terminal.
Responsible and trouble-free operation
The employees and contractors of the Sakhalin-1 project worked for 68 million hours with excellent safety and injuries that far exceed the industry average. Compliance with regulatory requirements is ensured through strict regulation and control of production activities.
Environmental measures are an integral part of the construction and operation of the project and include a number of special wildlife conservation programs, including the protection of the western gray whale population , Steller's sea eagle and other inhabitants.
Active consultations with indigenous people on Sakhalin Island helped ENL identify the most pressing local issues. In particular, oil workers allow local reindeer herders to use the bridge she built across Chayvo Bay for the annual driving of reindeer herds.
Attracting and training Russian personnel
At the initial stage of development, 13,000 jobs were created for Russian citizens. The involvement of local staff creates new opportunities and contributes to overall and regional economic development. At the same time, ENL company applies the most modern operating standards and safety standards, as well as construction, drilling, production and pipeline laying technologies.
More than a hundred Russian engineers and technicians were involved in work at production facilities. Each of the hired technical specialists undergoes a long-term training course. Some of them were sent for internships at Exxon Mobil facilities in the US and Canada.
Help island
More and more Sakhalin residents are participating in technical training programs for suppliers and contractors. Working in conjunction with the Agency for International Development (USA), the employer promotes the development of welders by organizing special training courses and provides microloans for business training and the development of Sakhalin small and medium-sized enterprises. The consortium has contributed more than a million dollars to the loan fund, through which five hundred jobs have been created and support is provided to more than 180 enterprises.
The share of Russian organizations as suppliers and contractors is constantly increasing. The value of contracts with domestic firms exceeded $ 4 billion, or about two-thirds of the total value of the project contracts.
In addition to securing state revenues through the payment of royalties, the project contributes to the development of local infrastructure - roads, bridges, sea and air port facilities, as well as municipal medical facilities are being built. Other support programs include charitable donations to education, healthcare, and local science and technology.