Srednevilyuiskoye Gas Field
– Yakutia’s Pearl

The Srednevilyuiskoye Gas field is the major gas producing field in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). This is where Yakutgasprom OJSC carries on its primary operations. The company's chief geologist Alexander Pogodaev and chief engineer Ahtyam Gilyazov tell about how the things are like now on the field.

Alexander Pogodaev:

- Development of the Srednevilyuiskoye field began in 1975 and commercial operation began in 1986 after the field had been connected with a gas-main pipeline Mastah-Berge-Yakutsk. As a result, delivery of gas to consumers of Central industrial region started that made up the deficiency of decreasing gas production in Mastahskoye gas condensate field. In 2006 Yakutgasprom will celebrate the 20 th anniversary of commercial field operation. Overall, 77 well have been drilled on the field. Yet only 50 wells are planned to be developed. 42 of them are production wells and 8 are observation (control) wells. As of today 27 wells are productive. The remaining wells are undergoing preparatory stage before completion and commissioning. Gas consumption rate in Yakutia varies depending on season. Hence, since gas demand is higher in winter, wells and other field facilities are to be used at maximum capacity. Daily production is 7.5 millions cubic meters, and may reach 8 millions in lower temperatures. When all the wells are used, we need to have some reserve wells. To maintain this requirement, new wells, mainly located on the left bank of Vilui river, are being connected as planned. In summer most of the wells are temporarily abandoned – since gas consumption declines –down to 1 million cubic meters a day.

Six fields have been developed by Yakutgazprom: Ust'-Vilyuiskoe, Mastahskoye and Srednevilyuiskoye in Central region; Severo-Nelbinskoye, Sredndebotuobinskoye and Ireliahskoye in West region. At the moment, Yakutgazprom produces gas from Srednevilyuiskoye and Mastahskoye fields. Initially it was planned to produce up to 4 billion cubic meters of gas a year. The field's reserves allow to reach this level of production. Our prospects are tied with increases in gas consumption in republic's central region. If republic's industry will use more gas, we will be able to meet the demand. This will give us chance to earn more, and consequently, complete Srednevilyuiskoye gas-field construction and get opportunity to invest in geological survey.

Ahtyam Gilyazov:

- In 2006 a new project of Srednevilyuiskoye gas-field construction will be complete. The project implies upgrade of technological equipment aiming to improve gas treatment quality. As a result of the upgrade it is expected to produce as much liquefied gas in Kysyl-Syr as it is produced by Yakutsk gas treatment plant. Yet there is an issue of usage of the gas due to lack of demand.

In near future Srednevilyuiskoye field will become a major one. But we need to be ready for the time when the field will begin to exhaust as production increases. Because of this, pilot operation of Srednetyungskoye field, which is 150 km away from Srednevilyuikoye field, along with gas delivery to near settlements shall begin.

The Srednetyungskoye field is ranked among the largest. Its reserves amount to 156 billion cubic meters of gas and 11.5 million tons of gas condensate.

Within coming years, gas transporting system of uluses (districts) will develop owing to gas pipeline construction to ulus centers Churapcha, Ytyk-Kyuol, Borogontcy and gasification of settlements along the pipeline. By the end of this year, construction of pipeline to Verhnevilyuisk will be done. And in the meanwhile with development of Srednetyungskoye field there will arise a chance of laying pipeline from the field to Verhnevilyuisk and then further to Nyurba.

This drastic increase in gas consumption in the republic is possible provided a synthetic motor oil plant will be built in Yakutsk . The plant may use up to 1.1. Billion cubic meters a year. Thereby gas pipeline and field capacity would improve and the central region demand in fuel would be met. Yearly gas production goes up by 30-50 million cubic meters on average and taking into account plant construction and if the gasification program will be fulfilled by 2020, the yearly production may increase up to 3 billion cubic meters. Thus the following 40 billion will be produced within 20 years.

Besides 40 billion cubic meters of gas, Yakutgazprom OJSC has recovered over 1.5 million tons of gas condensate within the years. The condensate refinery products are supplied to northern and Vilyuisk uluses.

Future trends are construction of new condensate treatment plant. Yakutgazprom is pursuing two objectives: increase in gas condensate treatment to 100 thousand tons and conversion of the condensate into high-quality gasoline and diesel fuel to cover needs of Central region, Vilyuisk group of uluses and Yakutsk .

Translated by Roman M. Dyachkovsky.
Written by Alex Yarovikov.
Resource: GazetaYakutia.Ru