There are not many unexplored regions in the world. One of these places is the Arctic. The study of the Arctic began since the Middle Ages. The development of the region continues to this day. More than 2/3 of the world's Arctic offshore oil and gas fields are located in the Russian shelf zone. The Prirazlomnoye oil field in the Pechora Sea is no exception .
Project history
Geologists discovered the Prirazlomnoye field in 1989. The change in political regime and default prevented the development of the field.
Only in 1993 did Gazprom's subsidiary, Rosshelf, begin to actively develop Prirazlomnoye. Until 1994, geological exploration of three wells was carried out. Already in 1996, the company prepared a business case. In 1997, they approved a plan for the construction of a stationary platform.
In 1998, when the design of the platform was in an active stage, the work was frozen due to economic default. After 5 years, the project was adjusted, and the already new Gazprom subsidiary, Sevmorneftegaz, resumed construction. Platform installation deadlines have been delayed for a long time. The first phase of construction was completed only at the end of 2010. And only at the end of 2013 did it begin to fully function.
Platform features
The region where the Prirazlomnoye field is located is the Nefteyugansk region of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The platform is located 60 km from the mainland.
To develop the field in the open sea, a specially designed platform was installed that can operate in conditions of low temperatures, ice, strong gusts of wind and sea waves. The depth at which oil production is carried out is 20 m. The platform is securely fixed to the sea ground using ballast. Its total weight, including ballast, is 500,000 tons. According to the plan, the platform should drill 36 wells in order to ensure an annual oil production of 6.5 million tons.
Field Status
The Prirazlomnoye oil field is truly unique, since the production of “black gold” is carried out on it from the platform even in winter. However, the procedure for state registration of structures by Russian law has not yet been developed.
According to the Federal Law No. 187, the platform is an artificial structure in the continental shelf zone of the Russian Federation. The Moscow District Arbitration Court in 2009 decided to recognize it as a hydrotechnical stationary structure. Also in 2012, Prirazlomnaya was registered as a sea vessel in the Russian ship registry and assigned to the port of Naryan-Mar.
Management companies
The Prirazlomnoye oil field began to be actively developed since 1992. It was in this year that the specialized company Rosshelf was created. The constituent structure included about 20 different enterprises, some of which were engaged in geological exploration of the Shtokman field. In March 1993, Rosshelf CJSC received a license to carry out activities for the search, production and evaluation of oil deposits.
Since 2001, Gazprom and Rosneft began to develop the oil and gas basin of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, including the Prirazlomnoye field. Yuganskneftegaz, a subsidiary of Rosneft, has been managing the platform’s pumping station since 2006. In 2002, the Sevmorneftegaz enterprise received a license to use Prirazlomnoye oil deposits. In 2009, Rosneft sold all of Sermorneftegaz shares to Gazprom, and the company was named Gazpromneft Shelf. Since 2014, it has become a subsidiary of Gazpromneft.
Features of storage and transportation of oil
Reservoirs for oil are located at the bottom of the platform - in the caisson. The technology for storing raw materials in it is called “wet”, because regardless of the filling of the tank with oil, it is always filled with water. Oil enters the tank using a diffuser mechanism. When filling the tanks, water is displaced into the ballast system, which is then cleaned. Water is then used to create pressure in the oil reservoirs.
To ship oil, water is poured into the tank from the pressure storage. Oil is pumped by the pump from the surface of the tank to the discharge system. As pumping takes place, ballast water fills the tank.
Transportation is carried out by shuttle tankers, which are contactlessly moored to the platform.
Environmental Activities and Environmental Issues
Prirazlomnoye field is located near several specially protected natural areas. Therefore, the environmental aspect of oil production is always relevant.
Despite the fact that the project has passed a number of examinations, environmental damage is nevertheless inflicted. To minimize it, a number of events are carried out:
- devices are installed on the intake pipes that can reduce the death of marine animals by almost 80%;
- the torch operation at night is minimized to avoid collisions of birds flying by with the platform.
Not a single oil field in the world is safe from oil spills. The Prirazlomnoye field is developed year-round, even during the polar night. It is practically impossible to quickly liquidate an oil spill in the Arctic zone - part of it goes under the ice. Spill response equipment is located almost 1000 km from Prirazlomnaya in Murmansk. Transporting it to the scene of the accident is also hampered by weather conditions.
Prirazlomnoye field is a high-tech complex, which contains the most advanced methods of drilling, production, oil transportation. Its development is especially important for the Russian economy.