Neftegaz.RU #3-17 ENG

10 years 

FISHBONE 

HORIZONTAL WELLS 

WITH MULTI-STAGE 

FRACTURING 

[3] 2017 

INNOVATIONS 

IN DRILLING 

Included in the list of VAС

Not quantity, 

but quality 

Drilling in the arctic 

8 

Oil and gas industry epochs 8 

RUSSIA main 

Not quantity, but quality 6 

Positive year. FEK plans 10 

Events 12 

FIRST LINE 

Northern apical points 14 

20 

Russia in titles 19 

CONTENT 

Methods for downhole 

equipment inhibition 

29 

Special Approach to 

Unique Field 

38 

OFS 

Drilling in the Arctic 20 

Horizontal wells with multi-stage 

fracturing under the conditions 

of the Priobskoe field 24 

Methods for downhole 

equipment inhibition 29 

Influence of temperature 

gradient on DDM elastomer 

stability during simulation 

of tripping processes 34 

DRILLING 

Special Approach to Unique Field. 

Drilling fluids for drilling 

at Messoyakha 38 

Innovations in Well-Boring under 

Difficult Geological Conditions of 

Kuyumbinskoe Oilfield 40 

Application features of 

inhibiting solution 44

Innovations 

in Well-Boring 

40 

Application 

features of 

inhibiting 

solution 

44 

52 

Increase in Oil Recovery 

in Carbonate 

Reservoirs 

58 

Cementing 

of casing 

strings 

EQUIPMENT 

Determining of the rational 

values for boring bits reinforcing 

elements working angles 48 

Cementing of casing strings 52 

SUMMIT INTERNATIONAL: 

Solar Powered Chemical Injection 

Systems 54 

TRANSPORTATION 

Logistics in the Fuel and 

Energy Complex 56 

PRODUCTION 

Increase in Oil Recovery 

in Carbonate Reservoirs 60 

SOCIAL PROJECTS 

Virtual conditions of improving 

the quality of professional 

training of drillers 68 

Human care is a prerequisite 

for company successful 

development 70 

Chronograph 73 

ECOLOGY 

Siberian Service company: 

top quality oil production 

and related services while 

staying ECO friendly 74 

Neftegaz. Life 78 

Quotes 80

OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY EPOCHS 

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ADS

RUSSIA 

main 

JMMC discussed the implementation of 

commitments to reduce oil production 

Russia reduced oil production by 

185 thousand barrels a day 

NOT QUANTITY, 

BUT QUALITY 

Anna Pavlikhina 

On March 26, the ministers of OPEC and non- 

OPEC (JMMC) countries met for the second time to 

discuss the fulfillment of the obligations to reduce oil 

production. It was observed that countries abide by 

their voluntary commitments. Thus, OPEC countries' 

oil production declines for the second month in the row 

and as a whole has reached 94% of the reduction level 

agreed. 

Russia has now reduced oil production by 185 

thousand barrels per day in comparison with October 

2016. By the end of April, Russian companies should 

reduce the production to 300 barrels per day, i.e. to 

the level fixed in the agreement. This bar will be kept 

until the middle of the year, i.е. until the revision or 

extension of the agreement. 

However, against the background of the reduction 

in production, the increase in stocks of crude oil 

was observed. This is associated with seasonal 

factors, such as planned repairs at processing plants. 

However, experts consider this phenomenon to be a 

temporary one and argue that when repairs at the oil 

refinery are over, the efforts of extractive companies to 

stabilize the market will pay off in full. 

However, companies may not wait for remuneration. 

On the one hand, oil producers have not lost anything 

yet, because a decrease in production does not mean 

a decrease in exports. According to K. Molodtsov, 

Russian extractive companies are just going to 

increase the volumes of supplies in the first half of 

the year. Thus, for the first month of 2017, Russia 

has increased its oil exports by 4.8% - up to 20.124 

million tons, while earning 68.4% more than usual. 

The Russian budget also only benefited from the 

maneuver. 

On the other hand, shale oil is not under the 

production limitation, from which in all logic the United 

8 ~ Neftegaz.RU [3]


main 

Russia needs technologies that allow to reduce 

costs for the extraction of hydrocarbons and 

dependence of the market oil price 

US today is the most knowledge-intensive 

Country in the world 

States that obviously want to increase the production 

should benefit. 

Shale oil is expensive. Therefore, low prices do not 

contribute to increasing its production. Whereas, 

the increase in quotations on the world market can 

activate extractive companies in the USA. If oil price 

again reaches a comfortable $ 100 per barrel, then, 

analysts predict, “oil will flood the world exchanges”, 

which will lead to another, perhaps even greater price 

collapse. 

High or even just acceptable prices give an instant 

impulse for increasing production and entering the 

market of American oil shale. In addition, of course, 

technologies does not stand still. Today the USA is 

the most knowledge-based country in the world, long 

ago surpassing the European countries and especially 

Russia in terms of investment in academic and 

applied science. The latter, in its turn, diligently fulfills 

the political and financial attention paid to it supplying 

the budget-forming industries with new developments 

that make the production cheap, including shale oil. 

In conditions when companies are forced to go for oil 

to Arctic and offshore fields, and oil itself becomes 

difficult to recover, the profitability of production (and 

often just its possibility) is determined by the access to 

modern technologies. They allow reducing the cost of 

extracting hydrocarbons and leveling the dependence 

on the oil market price. 

In the absence of technologies, it will be quite difficult 

to increase oil production, even if the agreement is not 

extended. 

Unlike the forecasts of IEA specialists suggesting that 

the production reduction will lead to a deficit in the first 

half of this year, OPEC believes that the restrictions 

imposed will balance the market. 

Russia remains a supporter of 100% compliance with 

the agreement. In the initial stages, it is quite profitable 

to sell surpluses at a fair price and now the question is 

whether the agreement will be extended. 

It is no longer impossible to compete in oil 

production with the United States only through political 

methods. The quantitative struggle for the deposits 

in the very near future will give way to a qualitative 

fight of technologies, in which Russia risks to enter 

unarmed. 

[3] Neftegaz.RU ~ 9


main 

POSITIVE YEAR. 

FEK PLANS 

Elena Alifirova 

A meeting of the Public Council under the 

Ministry of Energy on March 17, 2017 was 

held under the chairmanship of G. Gref. 

A report on the activities of the Ministry 

in 2016 and plans on 2017 was made by 

Russian energy Minister Alexander Novak 

that the outcome of the 2016 positive, 

noting the record levels of oil and coal. A 

gas was broken multi-year trend of declining 

production. According to the Minister in 2016, 

Russia produced 547,5 million tons of oil, 

occupying 12.4% in world production and 

ahead on volumes, Saudi Arabia, USA, Iraq 

and China. In 2017 the production of oil and 

gas condensate in Russia will increase to 

548 million tons. In 2018 it is expected the 

increase to 553 million tons, and in 2019 this 

shelf production will continue. After a while 

Russia reduces oil production. 

As one of the positive aspects of 2016 the 

growth of capital investments in the Russian 

oil industry to 1.21 trillion rubles was marked. 

In 2016 Russia produced 640,2 billion m 3 of 

gas, in 2017 it is expected a slight increase – 

up to 640,5 billion m 3 . In 2018 this figure will 

rise to 648,3 billion m 3 , and in 2019 – to 656 

billion m 3 . 

In 2017 one of the key tasks of the Ministry 

of energy will be the approval of the project 

of Energy strategy of Russia until 2035, the 

Entry into force of this document will meet 

the needs of socio-economic development of 

the country, to improve territorial production 

structure of the sector and to provide 

technological independence of the energy 

sector. 

One more important task is the approval of 

General schemes of development of the oil 

and gas industry up to 2035. It will include 

the Eastern gas program and the concept of 

the development of the internal gas market. 

Speaking about the prospects of gasification, 

energy Minister Alexander Novak said that 

Russia will never be gasified by 100% citing 

the economic inefficiency. 

The European Parliament adopted a resolution banning oil 

and gas extraction in the Arctic waters of the European Union. 

The document was supported by almost all deputies. What 

motivated you to give this decision? 

What is behind the ban of the 

European Union to extract 

hydrocarbons in the Arctic? 

28 % 

The concernment about the environmental problems 

28 % 

The desire to influence on the plans of the Russian 

extraction companies 

22 % 

The apprehension about the activity of Minoborony of 

Russia in the Arctic region 

17 % 

The desire to suspend the development of the region 

to better understand its differentiation 

6 % 

The unwillingness to put the United States on the 

Northern shelf 

MOESK during 2017 plans to update a network "MOESK-EV" in 

the Moscow region for another 10 charging stations for electric 

vehicles, which mostly will be placed on the grounds of shopping 

centers and gas stations. But whether it is necessary now to 

build a number of charging stations? 

Whether you need to increase the 

number of charging stations for electric 

cars? 

11 % 

Yes, it stimulates the transition on the electric cars 

21 % 

No, there a few drivers of the electric cars in our 

country 

53 % 

Yes, the electric cars are the future and need to prepare 

for it now 

5 % 

No, better would be more filling stations are built 

11 % 

I am for the bicycles. It is ecologically and useful 


ADS

EVENTS 

Oil prices 

Duty abolition 

Increase in production capacity 

The new head of “Rosneft” 

Nord Stream 

Presidential elections 

Gas wars 

Launch of new production 

Stock market crash 

The productivity of the 

Bazhenov formation will be 

considered in KhMAD 

RussNeft launched a pilot project 

for the construction of wells at 

Sredne-Shapshinskoye oilfield, 

which the company will explore the 

Bazhenov shale. 

In 2017, the company intends to 

drill on the field 16 new wells in 

3 well clusters. The productivity 

of sediments is directly related 

to abnormally high formation 

pressure (AHRP), which is caused 

by the lack of primary migration 

of hydrocarbons in traditional 

reservoirs. The presence of 

abnormally high pressure zones 

improves the properties of the 

reservoir, this increase the time 

of natural exploitation without the 

use of secondary methods. But, 

at the same time increases the 

threat of complications during 

the drilling. For prediction of pore 

pressure prediction using various 

types of well logging, seismic, 

drilling data. Given the presence 

of a zone of abnormally high 

pressure that is unique to the 

Bazhenov deposits, drilling in the 

Medium-Shapshinskoye oilfield 

use innovative service prediction 

of pore pressure prediction. 

The new service is based on an 

integrated approach: the hardware 

is built on the basis of engineering 

calculations that helps to minimize 

risks during the drilling. Resources 

of the Bazhenov formation in 

Sredne-Shapshinsky field contain 

more than 40 million tons. 

Oil from coral reefs 

In the framework of the 

implementation of the Technology 

strategy Gazprom Neft has 

developed a program of 

introduction of new technologies 

for extraction of oil from carbonate 

and fractured reservoirs. These 

include more than 40% of 

recoverable reserves (about 600 

million tons of hydrocarbons). At 

the fields of Gazprom Neft about 

40% of the remaining reserves are 

contained in carbonate reservoirs. 

The largest assets with such 

deposits are the Eastern section 

of the Orenburg oil and gas 

condensate field, and Chonskoy at 

Kuyumbinskoe field in East Siberia, 

the project of Badra in Iraq, the 

Prirazlomnaye field in the Pechora 

sea. 

A new program developed by the 

Scientific and technical center of 

Gazprom Neft and includes 12 

technological projects in the field 

of exploration, mining, drilling and 

production of oil. 

In particular, Chonskoy project will 

apply technology for intensification 

of oil production from a carbonate 

reservoir, the pores of which are 

partially filled with salt and do 

not leak oil. On at Kuyumbinskoe 

field is the choice of technology to 

acid fracturing and on the Eastern 

section of the Orenburg field of 

technological solutions aimed at 

the search of optimum modes of 

operation of the wells. 

Reactivate plugged and 

abandoned wells 

RN-Sakhalinmorneftegaz has 

successfully completed the 

construction of the energy complex 

Katangli on the same field and 

started commissioning works. 

As reported on March 1, 2017 

by Rosneft, modular and energy 

complex became the 1st of the 

largest in the Sakhalin region. 

The total capacity of 12 MW 6 

gas turbine units provide, capable 

of operating in PNG. In addition, 

5 of the boiler can produce 125 

t/h process steam. In all, the 

complex of over 20 buildings and 

structures: transformer station 6/35 

kV, the area of power generation, 

automatic gas distribution station, 

boiler, etc. 

With the launch of the energy 

complex of the Katangli field is 

expected to resume production 

at the mothballed wells that will 

provide growth in daily production 

by more than 30%. 


NGL: to be or not to be 

Reached his hands up in the Arctic 

The second wave of crisis 

EVENTS 

Nord Stream built 

Gas prices 

Russia has joined the WTO 

Boguchany HPP launched 

Stock market crash 

Multi-stage fracturing from LUKOIL 

LUKOIL-Western Siberia provided pilot works on the 

introduction of new technologies to conduct multi-stage 

fracturing. The company tested the upgraded layout 

completion wells for multistage fracturing operations on 

fields in KhMAD. Due to this, the company was able to 

achieve a higher production rate compared to traditional 

methods. In the layout, in addition to the suspension 

of the shank and tooling for hydraulic fracturing, 

packers include swellable hybrid elastomers. Pilot work 

was conducted in 5 wells Imilorskoe and Tevlinsko- 

Russkinskoye fields. The use of hybrid elastomers 

provide absolute isolation of zones of fracturing and 

significantly reduce the time costs during the descent 

layout, but also eliminates technological risks, since the 

elastomer is able to swell in any borehole fluid. 

Multi-stage fracturing from Gazprom Neft 

At the Novoportovskoye field Gazprom Neft-Yamal 

successfully conducted a 20-stage fracture on “nonspherical” 

technology. This method was first applied 

in the development of hydrocarbon deposits on the 

Yamal peninsula based on the use of reusable sliding 

joints, allowing you to open and close individual ports 

of hydraulic fracturing. This design allows in the course 

of further operation of the well to cut off or separate 

fractures to prevent water inflow and gas, or all at the 

same time – to refracturing. The use of special sliding 

sleeves allows you to optimize hydraulic fracturing, 

isolating non-design, water-cut or gas-saturated 

intervals. Packer installation falls below the first 

sliding sleeve. The protrusions of the locator moving 

the installation up on a stem are fixed in the groove 

located below the sliding sleeve. Under the weight of 

a column of coiled tubing packer license is activated. 

Starting 1st daily production from the wells was 188 

tons of oil. The launch of the 2nd bore is planned for 

the near future. 

In the depth of the Yakut dungeons 

In the Krasnoyarsk region and Yakutia Rosgeologiya 

will conduct an update of locations of appraisal wells, 

the construction of which will allow a research of oil 

and gas fields. It is expected to lay well: Tenaska 215, 

Srednevilyuisky 283, Vilyuchinskaya 1, Wabuska 365, 

Dulisminsky 1. 

They will allow a research of Katanga, South Tunguska, 

Severo-Tunguska, Vilyui and Suggerisco oil and gas 

fields. The result of the implementation of the project 

will be the adjustment of the locations of shallow wells 

based on the geological model and development of 

recommendations for further geological exploration (GE) 

in the territory. The finishing of the works is planned in 

the end of 2018. 


FIRST LINE 

BUSINESS-ACCENT 

NORTHERN 

APICAL POINTS 

THE EXTRACTION ON THE FIELDS 

IN ARCTIC CLIMATIC ZONE 

ON SEPTEMBER, 2016 IN THE COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION WAS 

DEVELOPED THE NORTHERMOST OIL ONSHORE FIELD OF THE 

COUNTRY – VOSTOCHNO-MESSOYAKHSKOYE FIELD, DEVELOPED ON 

THE EQUAL PRINCIPLE BY ROSNEFT AND GAZPROM NEFT (THE LAST 

IS THE OPERATOR OF THE PROJECT). AS EXPLAINED BY THE HEAD 

OF GASPROM ALEKSEY MILLER, NEW ARCTIC PROJECT WILL BE 

IMPORTANT PART OF THE POWERFUL OIL AND GAS COMPLEX IN THE 

POLAR REGION 

Maria Kutuzova 

14


# 3/2017 

Ever frost 

By the middle of the February, 2017 on 

Vostochnaya Messoyakha, the first oil million 

was extracted. The value is achieved less than 

5 months from the commissioning of the field, 

it was possible thanks to the applied modern 

geological techniques: for the first time on this 

asset, the company-operator started mass 

drilling the wells on the “fishbon” technology. As 

pointed out by Gazprom Neft, the basic layers on 

Vostochno-Messoyakhskoye field are terrigenous 

reservoirs with the extreme intermittency on the 

area and section. Complex geology aspects 

of the field required the applying of the newest 

drilling methods of the field developing (including 

drain holes) and supporting the terrastatic 

pressure. 

As, for example, the well No. 380, developed 

on the Vostochnaya Messoyakha in the 

last autumn, have the unique properties. 

As explained by Aydar Sarvarov, general 

manager of Messoyakhaneftegas (joint 

company of Gaspromneft and Rosneft), the 

technologies applied in developing Vostochno- 

Messoyakhskoye field, allows the increasing 

of the scope of oil-saturated zones in complex 

geological conditions and the presence of 

400-meter layer of the permafrost ground. After 

that, best practices help to protect the unique 

ecosystem of the Arctic zone due to the reduction 

the area for the drilling. 

Vostochno-Messkhoyansky licensed site is 

placed on Gydan peninsula in Tazovsky region 

of the Yamal Nents Autonomous District, in 150 

km from the nearby settlement Tazovsky. The 

project was launched in the short term in the 

conditions of absence the industrial and transport 

infrastructure. Nevertheless during 2015-2016 

the extracting companies and subcontractors 

supplied on Vostochnaya Messoyakha more 

400 tons of cargoes by water transport and on 

the winter roads. On the field a lot of modern 

technical and engineering solutions were applied, 

thanks to that Vostochno-Messoyakhskoye field 

wad equipped less than three years. To the 

middle of the February of the current year, it was 

operated 94 operational oil wells and the average 

daily production is 7.3 t of oil. 

The fields are connected with the mainstream oil 

transport system “Zapolarie-Purpe” of the pipeline 

length 98 km. From the low arctic temperatures 

the pipeline is protected with the heat insulation 

layer. For preparing to the transportation, oil 

of Vostochno-Messoyakhskoye field is heated 

on the central production facility. In addition, to 

preserve the layers of permafrost, the supply 

pipeline was built above ground on the special 

FACTS 

The1st million 

ton of the oil was extracted 

on Vostochnaya Messoyakha 

on February, 2017 

400 

thousand ton of cargoes was 

delivered on Vostochnaya 

Messoyakha the extracted 

companies and contractors 

by water transport and on the 

winter roads 

7.3 tons 

of oil is the average daily 

extraction to the middle of the 

February, 2017 

supports, equipped with a 

thermal stabilization system. 

The pipeline is equipped with 

beam water crossing and special 

passes for animal migration. 

Underwater crossings of the 

pipeline through the rivers are 

built by the direct drilling, it 

allows saving unchanged natural 

rivers. According to Gazprom 

Neft plans on the current 

year, the drilling volumes on 

Vostochno-Messoyakhskoye 

field will increase in two times 

and the drilling will by 19 rigs 

simultaneously: in winter it was 

supplied 11 new drilling rigs on 

the field. 

Investment doles in the 

developing of Vostochno- 

Messouakhskoye field exceed 

85 billion rubles. Current year 

Gazprom Neft is going to invest 

in the field abour 20 billion rubles 

and up to 2040 both project 

partners plan to invest 256 billion 

rubles. As explained by the first 

Deputy of the General manager 

Vadim Yakovlev, to the end of 

the current year it is planned to 

extract 3 mln tons of oil and in 

2018 extract about 4 mln tons of 

oil on Messoyakha. The peak of 

extraction in the volume of 5.6 

mln tones per year is planned in 

2020. Currently extracted stores 

of the field are estimated in 340 

mln tons. 

The northmost oil project will one 

of the growing point of the raw 

hydrocarbon deposits production 

in 2017. On the basis of growth 

plans of oil extraction there aere 

for main upstream projects in the 

company: Iraqui Badra, Kuyumba, 

Messoyakha and one more arctic 

project Novy Port. These projects 

will allow the extraction level in 

89.2 mln tons (+2% in comparison 

with 2016, according to this 

result, the company achieved the 

value 86.2 tons of oil equivalent 

hydrocarbons). 

“The reclamation of the Russian 

Arctic is the strategy direction of 

Gasprom. In this remote region 

with a huge potential, we have 


15

FIRST LINE 


consistently launched into the development 

of new gas and oil fields, build the necessary 

infrastructure”, – points out Aleksey Miller. 

Last spring the oil offspring of Gasprom 

commissioned the unique onshore loading terminal 

“Gates of the Arctic”, designed for the year-round 

shipping of the Yamal oil. As explained by Vadim 

Yakovlev, to the end of the current year, Gazprom 

Neft is going to involve some new tankers and to 

2020 two ice-breakers, thanks to which the project 

Novy Port will be able to reach 8 mln tones per 

year. Currently onshore transport-technological 

project systems is equipped with two multifunctional 

ice-breakers Baltika and Vladislav 

Strizhov, designed for year-round service of oil 

loading terminal and liquidation of off-optimum 

situations. For maintenance of the leased oil 

tankers nuclear-powered ice-breakers of Atomflot 

are used. 

According to the plans, up to the end of 2017, 

Vyborg Shipyard transfer to Gazprom Neft 

according to the order of the company built two 

multi-functional diesel-electric ice breakers of the 

newest generation Aker Arc130A. The project of 

this vessel was designed by the Finnish company 

and successfully passed ice simulation tests in 

the ice basin Aker Arctic in Helsinki and in the 

conditions of the open water in VTT basin (in 

the capital of Finland) and in the navigability 

laboratory of Krylov Sate Research center in Saint 

Petersburg. New generation ice breakers Aker 

Arc130A with power 22 МW will have the length 

122 m, the width of the main deck (including 

fendering structures) – 26 m, the draft – 8 m. In 

addition, specifically for the project Novy Port six 

Arc7 tankers was built, which are able to operate 

in challenging Arctic conditions and will not require 

icebreaker escort while travelling along the route 

Murmansk – Gulf of Ob. 

Gates of the Arctic 

Novoportovskoye is of the largest developing oil 

and gas condensate fields of Yamak peninsula (on 

the stock of the liquid hydrocarbons is the largest). 

It is positioned in 30 km from the shore of Gulf of 

Ob. Extracted stokes of C1 and C2 categories are 

more 250 mln tons of oil and condensate and more 

than 320 billion cubic meters of gas. Gaspromneft- 

Yamal, JSC (till 2016 is Gaspromneft – Novy Port) 

is the offspring of Gazprom Neft, built up in 2011/ 

specially for the realization of Novy Port project, 

that is engaged of developing Novoportovsk 

oil and gas condensate field (including the 

infrastructure on extracting and shipping of 

hydrocarbons). 

The field was discovered in the mid-twentieth 

century. In 1964-1970 it was drilled more than 

FACTS 

20 billion 

rubles Gazprom Neft 

is going to invest in the 

field in 2017 

256 billion 

rubles it is planned 

to invest in the project up 

to 2040 

30 exploration wells. However, 

the lack of solutions for costeffective 

export of raw materials 

for many years “frozen” the 

development of reserves. After in 

2011, Gazprom neft has proved 

the possibility of export of oil from 

Yamal Northern sea route through 

the Gulf of Ob, the company 

has begun preparations for fullscale 

development of its Arctic 

asset. Currently cost-effective oil 

production at the field Gazprom 

neft is designed to 2044, but 

according to the technological 

scheme of development, production 

on the field and possible up 

to 2150. It is one of the most 

expensive projects of Gazprom 

Neft: the investment in the project 

over the last three years exceeded 

180 billion rubles, the volume of 

overall investments until 2045 will 

amount to 435 billion rubles. Total 

tax revenues in budgets of all levels 

from the project in this period will 

amount to 1.7 trillion rubles. 

Launching of the terminal Gate of 

the Arctic on May 25, 2016, with 

a capacity of crude oil is up to 8.5 

million tons per year, allowed the 

company year-round shipping of oil 

produced in Yamal on the tankers 

for further transportation along 

the Northern sea route. This is the 

only terminal in the world, located 

in fresh waters in the Arctic Circle. 

Sea terminal Gate of the Arctic 

is a unique structure: designed 

to work in extreme climatic 

conditions, has a two-tier system 

of protection and meets the most 

stringent requirements in the field of 

industrial safety and environmental 

protection. 

The terminal equipment is fully 

automated and protected against 

water hammer. A special system 

allows to produce the disjuncture 

between the terminal and the 

tanker, keeping the tightness of 

the releasable elements. The 

technology of "zero discharge" 

eliminates the ingress of any 

foreign matter into the waters of 

the Gulf of Ob, which is extremely 

important to preserve the fragile 

ecology of the Arctic. In addition, 

16

ADS



a subsea pipeline connecting the terminal with 

the coastal tank farm, protected by additional 

concrete coating. 

Currently, the volume of shipping oil of Novy 

Port is up to 15 thousand tons per day. Only 

in 2016, the field produced 2.9 million tons of 

oil. The specialists of Gazpromneft-Yamal, with 

full commissioning of the Central oil gathering 

infrastructure of Novoportovskoye field will allow 

to ship 5 – 6 million tons of oil per year. The figure 

of 5 million tons expected to be reached in the 

current year, and in 2018 to reach the level of 

6.3 million tons of oil. 

The oil extracted at the Novoportovskoye field, 

isolated in a separate variety, called Novy Port, 

and belongs to the category of light. Low sulfur 

content (about 0.1%), it exceeds not only Russia's 

Urals blend, but also European marker Brent. In 

addition, the oil of Novy Port is almost anhydrous 

and has a low content of impurities, and thus 

requires almost no additional preparation. The oil 

of Neft Novy Port is a very valuable feedstock for 

European refineries. 

Novy Port is considered one of the most 

technological projects of Gazprom Neft. The 

production of hydrocarbons is carried out 

in difficult climatic conditions. In winter, the 

temperature in the area of the Novoportovskoye 

field can reach -55°C. Field tested drilling 

technologies in the Arctic latitudes and 

permafrost. So, in 2016, Gazprom Neft for the 

first time on the Yamal Peninsula drilled a well 

with the length of horizontal shaft 2 km. 

More than 80% of equipment used at the 

Novoportovskoye field, is of Russian origin, 

released on the domestic machine-building, 

metallurgical plants and capacities of the scientific 

and technical associations. For example, the 

oil pipeline infrastructure in the field equipped 

with the Russian control, heating and monitoring 

systems that control its integrity real-time. For 

animal migration under the pipe there are some 

special transitions. To maintain the permafrost 

in its natural state during the construction of 

production facilities, administrative and social 

buildings apply heat stabilizers of the Russian 

assembly. Also for monitoring the temperatures 

of the ground at bases of structures established 

special thermometric boreholes with domestic 

measuring instruments. To 2018, the field will 

have to run gas turbine power plant on 96 MW 

with the possibility of increasing the capacity up 

to 144 MW. The Novoportovskoye gas turbine 

power plant will be one of the largest on the 

Yamal peninsula. For supply of electricity from the 

field to the facilities located in the Cape Stone, to 

be conducted power line with a length of 98 km. 

FACTS 

3 mln tons 

of oil it is planned to extract 

up to the end of 2017 on 

Vostochnaya Messoyakha 

As noted in the company, all 

facilities constructed according to 

the best international standards 

and application of solutions 

to minimize the impact on the 

environment and to ensure 

reliable operation in difficult 

climatic conditions. In the 

framework of its environmental 

program Gazprom-Yamal is 

working to restore aquatic 

biological resources of the 

Gulf of Ob. It is conducted the 

regular monitoring of the ambient 

conditions. 

Currently the project has 

entered into the active phase. 

During the peak periods at the 

Novoportovskoye field worked 

more than 7 thousand employees 

of Gazprom and subcontractors. 

For comfortable stay it was 

built shift complexes. Currently, 

for employees of Gazprom- 

Yamal additionally erected a 

residential complex for 600 

places at the Novoportovskoye 

field and residential complex 

on the acceptance paragraph 

in the Cape Stone (150). The 

commissioning is scheduled on 

2017. 


17

FIRST LINE 


In the area of project implementation is the 

largest in the region number of representatives 

of indigenous minority peoples of the North – 

about 11 thousand people, half of whom lead a 

nomadic lifestyle. Gazpromneft-Yamal, provides 

financial assistance to the nomads who are in a 

difficult life situation, involves in various social 

projects and organization of air traffic and deliver 

food in remote areas. 

New approaches to the Arctic 

Applying of new technologies for the efficient 

and safe oil production in the permafrost is 

one of the key priorities of the company. On 

June, 2016, Gazprom Neft adopted a program 

"the development of fields in difficult climatic 

and geographical conditions" in the overall 

technological strategy of the unit of exploration 

and production. The objective of the program is 

to fix the best practices that are already applied 

in building on the various company projects, to 

select and test new technologies, and prepares 

model solutions for major building projects 

which will reduce the time searching for the right 

technology and to reduce the errors. 

Working in difficult climatic conditions is not news 

for oil and gas companies. Large deposits today, 

as a rule, are not located in the most accessible 

locations. Harsh climate, long distances to the 

nearest shelter, and problems with the transport 

infrastructure – all this can result to large 

difficulties for their settlement, and hence costly. 

As noted in the company, any extra ton of cargo 

becomes critical if you need to deliver thousands 

of kilometers on ice roads and incorrect logistics 

decisions can lead to a repeated growth of the 

already considerable expenses. 

Novy Port and Messoyakha are implemented 

in the permafrost zone. As explained by the 

specialists of Gazprom Neft: the soil here 

for thousands of years is in a frozen state, 

and the heat from the constructed facilities 

should not lead to thawing, otherwise the 

ground will "float" and begin to sink, damaging 

and destroying structures. To comply with 

temperature balance, the pipeline lay not in the 

ground and on supports. It is important that 

heat from the chimney, at which there is hot oil 

is not transferred into the ground. Therefore, 

the pipelines under the supports provided with 

stabilizers special tubes, collecting the heat 

from the soil into the environment. Buildings and 

tankers in these regions also erected on stilts 

and rose above the ground so that heat is not 

transmitted to the ground. 

As noted in the company, the cost of building 

the pipeline is affected by many different factors: 

FACTS 

5.6 mln 

is the peak of extraction up 

to 2020 

89.2 mln 

tons Gazprom plans to 

extract in 2017 

pipe material, design of supports, 

the thickness of the insulation 

layer, the use of electrical heating 

systems, selection of the optimal 

lengths of the pipeline. So in the 

construction of pressure pipeline 

on Messoyakha, the use of pipe 

material of higher strength class 

allowed to reduce the total cost 

of construction: decreased metal 

consumption, the weight of the 

pipe, thereby reducing the number 

of supports and to save on 

construction and installation works 

and delivery of the equipment. 

Gazprom Neft gives an example 

of saving on material in the 

framework of the project on the 

Novoportovskoe field. When 

laying pipelines on the multiple 

well platforms, usually used 

radial scheme where each well 

to measuring node is a separate 

pipe. But in permafrost regions 

they are located above ground on 

poles and it dramatically increases 

the consumption of the materials 

and the cost of the entire facility. 

“As a solution to problems of 

Novy Port was proposed and 

considered two-pipe system, 

consisting of a single tube of the 

collector and one test line. This 

scheme requires an increasing the 

number of valves, but it simplifies 

the site of the metering installation 

and significantly reduces the 

consumption of the whole system. 

In the future construction pads 

on permafrost will be carried out 

according to this scheme," said the 

company. 

One more direction of 

development of Arctic technologies 

is the use of the construction at 

oil production facilities finished 

modular blocks, allowing fast 

assembly in cold climate. 

According to the experts, currently, 

many pumping stations, canteens, 

administrative complexes, 

dormitories and many more 

are delivered as complete units 

with all necessary equipment. 

Using new approaches and 

technologies Gazprom Neft today 

is successfully developing the 

Russian Arctic. 

18

ADS 

RUSSIA IN TITLES

OFS 


DRILLING 

IN THE 

ARCTIC 

20



AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2016 IN A TELECONFERENCE, VLADIMIR PUTIN GAVE A START TO THE 

LARGEST ARCTIC PROJECT: FULL-SCALE COMMERCIAL OPERATION OF THE EAST MESSOYAKHA OILFIELD 

IN THE YAMAL-NENETS AUTONOMOUS DISTRICT. THE PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA IN A FORMAL CEREMONY 

THANKED ALL THE TEAMS INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EASTERN MESSOYAKHA. A UNIQUE 

GEOLOGY OF THIS FIELD REQUIRES NEW AND EXCEPTIONAL TECHNOLOGY, WHILE SUBNORMAL 

TEMPERATURES MAKE ANY WORK DIFFICULT TO ACCOMPLISH. SO WHO WAS THAT ENTRUSTED WITH 

THE HONOR TO DEVELOP THIS ARCTIC TERRITORY AND HOW DID THEY MANAGE TO DRILL ONE OF THE 

NORTHERNMOST AREAS ON THE CONTINENT? 

ADS 


KEYWORDS: drilling, sidetracking, Messoyakha oilfield, horizontal directional drilling, Siberian Service Company, 

exploration drilling. 

Whimsies of the Messoyakha 

Oilfield 

Messoyakha group of fields is not just some 

northern fields. They are located only 250 

km away from the Arctic Circle. In winter, the 

ambient temperature here reaches minus 60°C. 

And the winter itself lasts 9 months. Apart from 

extremely low temperatures and short daylight 

hours there are strong winds gusting up to 40 

m/s, which, along with frequent snowstorms, 

bind down any fieldwork. Despite all the 

difficulties, the northernmost production field of 

the mainland was built in just 3 years. 

In addition to the harsh climate, the region 

is notable for its distinctive soil geology. An 

irregular payout bed position (700 – 800 m 

deep) is what makes Messoyakha wells unique. 

Despite the fact that wells are relatively shallow, 

horizontal length often exceeds 1 kilometer. 

East Messoyakha oilfield had the most stringent 

requirements for technology developers. 

Engineers had to make some fundamental 

rethinking of the customary recovery methods. 

Hi-Tech Services 

The work was further complicated by the 

fact that each well in the region is individual 

and opens a unique log. Complex tectonics 

and many faults leave basically no room for 

estimations. Often well logs, even of those 

adjacent to each other, are hardly correlating. 

This includes both the lithological structure and 

hydrodynamic reservoir characteristics. 

The company's share in the total annual 

volume of domestic drilling is 7% 

FACTS 

Messoyakha group of fields 

is located in the Tazovsky 

region of the Yamal-Nenets 

Autonomous District in 250 

kilometers from the Arctic 

Circle, in the Arctic climatic 

zone 

In1990, 

Tazovskaya oil and gas 

prospecting expedition, 

having tested the well No. 

35 on the Eastern dome, has 

discovered an oil reservoir 

70 % 

of oil reserves is 

represented by heavy, 

high-viscose, resinous oil 

with a low content of light 

fractions 

Yamal is a peninsula in the 

north of Western Siberia 

located at the territory of the 

Yamal-Nenets Autonomous 

District of Russia. The 

length is 700 km, and the 

width is up to 240 km. It is 

washed by the Kara Sea and 

the Gulf of Ob 

JSC Siberian Service Company 

having the most extensive 

experience in exploratory and 

production drilling (SSC has 

been in the industry since the 

beginning of 2000s) helped JSC 

Messoyakhaneftegas to deal with 

the challenges. 

One of the SSC's strategies was 

to attract high-profile Russian 

experts. Many teams have a 

unique drilling experience at 

‘5-thousanders’. 

SSC is actively engaged in 

exploratory and operational drilling 

of wells, horizontal directional 

drilling and related services, 

sidetracking, repair of wells, 

selection of formulas, development 

and handling of drilling mud, and 

plugging operations. By constantly 

being at the site, engineers of 

SSC can continuously monitor 

the drilling process by means of 

electromechanical equipment 

(mud logging station) installed on 

a drilling unit. Success of SSC is 

based on the best technology, staff 

and equipment, which allow to 

significantly boost production and 

economic indicators of the well 

construction. The company follows 

all contractual terms and perform 

with a great efficiency. 

During the development of 

the East Messoyakha oilfield 

engineers of SSC employed 

technologies that significantly 

increase the coverage of oil-filled 

areas while taking into account the 

complex geology of the field and 

21

OFS 


a 400 m bed of perennially frozen rocks. Also by 

reducing the area of drilling sites SSC helped to 

protect the unique ecosystem of the Arctic zone. 

Drilling for Exploration 

In 2015 Gazpromneft-Development LLC held a 

contest among several drilling teams involved in 

geological exploration of wells in the Messoyakha 

project. The best drilling team (the second year 

in a row) was the team of the well No. 118, with 

the general contractor – JSC Siberian Service 

Company. 

This well of the Messoyakha oilfield was drilled 

a traditional, turbo-rotor way, using polymer clay 

drilling mud. High commercial and mechanical 

speed was achieved through best-possible 

combination of drilling bit and DDM (downhole 

drilling motor). 

Professional attention and proprietary technology 

allow the team to perform the entire scope of 

works without any foreign contractors. It was 

thanks to the well-organized work of all service 

contractors and the drilling crew involved in the 

FACTS 

256 bln. 

rubles – investments up 

to 2040 

13 

cluster sites with utilities 

have been built before the 

launch 

Well No. 118 fall under the first category of difficulty (including 

abnormally high formation pressure). 

The well profile is vertical. 

The design depth is 3б500 m (426 mm course is 100 m; 

324 mm conductor is 550 m; service casing is 1,300 m; 168 mm 

production casing is 3,040 m; 114 mm liner casing is 3,500 m). 

Core sampling is 75 m (in the production casing and liner 

casing). 

Actual depth is 3,500 m (vertical). All casings were landed in 

accordance with the project, and the core sampled in full: total 

recovery was 98%. 

The well was drilled by the SSC crew No. 3: Drilling Master 

M. Tkachenko, Drilling Supervisors – E. Zyryanov and N. Kornev 

well construction, such high quality 

of performance was possible. 

The core was sampled by a 

paired core barrel every 18 m. 

Professional lithology splitting 

of the well log performed by 

the geological service team 

eliminated any further plugging or 

underdrilling prior to core sampling 

at given intervals. 

The winning team managed to 

build the well three days ahead 

of the planned date without any 

accidents. The main criteria 

evaluated by the judges was the 

higher quality of well construction, 

meeting the requirements of 

industrial safety while reducing 

the non-productive time spent 

on repairs of equipment and 

organizational issues. If all of 

these conditions are observed, the 

well construction cycle is notably 

reduced. 

The high efficiency and excellent 

quality of work at the Messoyakha 

oilfield was a logical result of 

SSC staff experience, who were 

working on the site since 2011. 

Only a good teamwork could 

handle the site at Messoyakha. 

Engineering staff has a lot of 

experience in drilling (at least 7 

years). Before the actual drilling of 

a well, drillers do it on paper: they 

get together for a special meeting 

with all drilling staff involved, and 

discuss the construction of the well 

and all of its aspects. 

22



business units of the company 

and the most effective interaction 

between units during the design, 

construction and repair of wells. 


Utilization of new and state-of-the-art equipment 

on the drilling unit helped to reduce the operation 

hours and, therefore, waste less time on repairs. 

Based on the experience of previously drilled 

wells, SSC engineers managed to avoid any 

emergencies as well as improve the well targeting 

methods. 

A considerable part in ensuring the high quality 

of work was played by the choice of contractors 

whose staff has only positive working experience, 

both at this field and in Russia. 

Technology 

Pilot project at the Messoyakha field was 

completed in the spring of 2015, and now it was 

ready for operational drilling. 

Introduction of efficient new well construction 

technologies was one of the most important tasks 

of SSC. 

Comprehensive efforts of SSC engineers in project 

development and drilling program design ensures 

a full-fledged exchange of information between 

FACTS 

84 MW 

capacity of the gas turbine 

power station that supplies 

electricity to the field 

51 

production oil wells have 

been drilled before the field 

commissioning 

Thanks to this approach, SSC 

can guarantee the customer not 

only a fast pace of work, but 

also meeting the challenges of 

precision drilling while building 

various types of wells and 

sidetracking. 

Most currently developed fields 

in Russia are quite mature, which 

makes increasing oil production 

an extremely crucial task. 

By using technology available 

today, SSC makes the most use 

of horizontal directional drilling 

and stimulated the drillers to set 

new goals. 

Sidetracking can recovery a 

well to its operating condition 

by opening and using hard-torecover 

beds and increasing the 

performance of marginal wells. 

This technique increases the oil 

recovery and basically replaces 

the well seal, which is used to 

maintain the well and save millions 

of investments for the industry. 

For sidetracking idling well stock, 

SSC cuts out a section of the 

casing and applies the wedging 

drilling method. 

Sidetracking enables us to build 

wells at a precisely required 

direction, at any depth, and any 

wedges. The greatest effect can 

be seen in drilling multi-lateral and 

horizontally branched wells. 

Cost value of oil recovered by 

sidetracking is usually lower than 

average value in the field, while 

the drilling costs pay off in 1 – 2 

years. 

Equipment 

For sidetracking SSC engineers 

use new equipment, both 

from domestic and foreign 

manufacturers. Drilling units of 

SSC are equipped with everything 

necessary to deliver high-quality 

results of well drilling. 

23

OFS 

HORIZONTAL WELLS WITH 

MULTI-STAGE FRACTURING 

under the conditions of the Priobskoe field 

Бархатов Эдуард 

Александрович, 

student at the Department of 

Development and Operation of 

Oil and Gas Deposits, USPTU, 

Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan, 

Russian Federation 

N.R. Iarkeeva, 

cand. tech. sci., associate 

prof. of chair of "Development 

and exploitation of oil and 

gas deposits" USPTU, Ufa, 

Republic of Bashkortostan, 

Russian Federation 

THE SHARE OF RESERVES WITH EASY TO RECOVER HYDROCARBONS 

HAS BEEN STEADILY DECLINING AND TODAY MORE AND MORE 

ATTENTION IS PAID TO TECHNOLOGIES, WHICH ALLOW TO DEVELOP 

DEPOSITS WITH COMPLICATED GEOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL 

CONDITIONS. THIS ARTICLE DESCRIBES THE EXPERIENCE OF USING 

HORIZONTAL WELLS WITH MULTI-STAGE HYDRAULIC FRACTURING ON 

THE EXPERIMENTAL SITE AT THE PRIOBSKOE FIELD. COMPARED TO 

DIRECTIONALLY INCLINED, THESE WELLS HAVE BETTER PERFORMANCE, 

AND LARGE VALUES OF ORF, AND THE RECOVERY RATE. IT ALSO 

DESCRIBES A METHOD OF CALCULATING THE OPTIMAL PARAMETERS OF 

MULTI-STAGE FRACTURING IN HORIZONTAL WELLS 

KEY WORDS: multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, hard-to-recover reserves, horizontal wells, 

new technology, efficiency of multi-stage fracturing. 

At the present time drilling of 

horizontal wells in combination with 

multi-stage hydraulic fracturing is 

considered as the most promising 

method for effective deposits 

recovering from low-permeability 

multicompartment beds. Multi-stage 

hydraulic fracturing (multi-stage 

fracturing) allows making of several 

full-scale hydraulic fractures in a 

single drilled horizontal well; due 

to this process inflow stimulation 

occurs and maximum coverage of 

previously non-drained areas with 

working is provided. 

Thereby this technology allows 

bringing into development previously 

non-commercial reserves and 

increasing not only production 

rates but also oil recovery factor. 

UDC 622.276.66 

Multi-stage fracturing applying 

at horizontal wells for hard-torecover 

reserves development 

has demonstrated high efficiency 

and now this technology is being 

actively implemented by the largest 

Russian oil and gas companies at 

Western Siberia fields, particularly, at 

Priobskoe field. 

The experimental plot (cluster 1) 

including four horizontal wells with 

hydraulic fracturing using the Stage 

Frac technology with horizontal 

boreholes length of 800 – 1,000 m 

has been drilled under the effective 

project design. 6 – 7 hydraulic 

fractures with proppant charging rate 

from 50 to 110 t per one operation 

have been performed in all wells. 

Two horizontal wells (No.11Г and 


OFS 

РИС. 1. Темпы падения по дебиту жидкости ГС с МГРП на 1 кусте 

No.12Г) have been brought into 

development in 2011 and two wells 

(No.13Г and No.14Г) – in 2012. 

As on January 01, 2013, all four 

horizontal wells are drilled to the bed 

АС11 with various lengths (Figure 1). 

As on January 01, 2013, additional 

oil production from HW with multistage 

fracturing has amounted 202.7 

ths.t, cumulative fluid production has 

amounted 228 ths.t. 

The best indicators are obtained 

at the wells 12Г and 13Г, which is 

related first of all to increase of net 

oil pay thicknesses. The well 11Г 

has the lowest decline rates, flow 

rates decline is related to emergency 

condition of the well. One can 

observe stabilization of the decline 

rate by fluid. The average decline 

rate amounts 0.6. 

During the years 2011 – 2012, four 

directionally-inclined producing 

wells, namely, 15, 16, 17 and 

18, have been commissioned 

at the experimental plot. These 

wells performance indicators are 

significantly inferior to horizontal 

wells with hydraulic fracturing. 

The table 1 gives comparison or 

operation of horizontal wells and 

directionally-inclined wells located at 

the experimental plot. 

As one can see in the Figure 2, 

current flow rate of HW exceeds 

experimental plot vertical wells flow 

rates by 2.5 – 3.0 times. 

The average cumulative withdrawal 

per one directionally-inclined well 

amounts 10.7 ths. t, when the 

average cumulative production at 

horizontal wells amounts 50.6 ths. t 

(from 22.7 to 89.2 ths. t). Additional 

oil production during the period 

2011 – 2012 has amounted 202.7 

ths. t. 

High costs of construction of 

horizontal wells with multi-stage 

hydraulic fracturing dictate necessity 

for sound approach of the designing 

stage implementation. Calculations 

of the alternative variants for the 

experimental plot development by 

various parameters, namely wells 

location, fractures orientation, have 

been performed at the Priobskoe 

field. The data have been compared 

with the basic approved variant – 

TABLE 1. The main technological performance indicators of HW and DIW 

Параметры работы 

Horizontal wells with multistage 

hydraulic fracturing 

Initial 

parameters 

As on January 

01, 2013 

Directionally-inclined wells 

with hydraulic fracturing 

Initial 

parameters 

As on January 

01, 2013 

Oil flow rate, t/day 210.5 131.8 93.2 15.5 

Fluid flow rate, t/day 255.3 161.5 99.3 34.3 

Water cut, % 5.3 18.0 6.3 33.5 

Cumulative oil 

production, ths. t 

202.4 42.7 

Cumulative fluid 

production, ths. t 

228.0 70.4 

FIG. 2. Comparison of oil flow rates of HS with DIW in the cluster 1 


OFS 

nine-points development pattern 

with the pattern arrangement 25 

and 16 hectares/well. Transversal 

fractures orientation for lowpermeability 

reservoirs is preferred: 

it provides higher productivity of 

the production wells, provides more 

extensive coverage of a reservoir, 

helps to bring into development 

multicompartment beds. But based 

on the results of the variants analysis 

the preference has been given to 

longitudinal fractures orientation 

due to the lowest risks for this 

system implementation and because 

of the complexity related to the 

waterflooding pattern arrangement 

for the system with transversal 

fractures orientation of hydraulic 

fracturing [1]. 

Based on the hydrodynamic fluid 

simulation results, implementation 

of HW with multi-stage hydraulic 

fracturing on the experimental 

plot will allow not only ORF 

increasing by 5 percent but also 

reducing development period by 

more than two times as compared 

with the basic variant. The use 

of hydrodynamic fluid simulation 

models is one of the main means 

for designing; but notwithstanding 

its high accuracy, it is impossible 

to be confined with only these 

models applying for the purposes 

of development variants calculation 

due to availability of a large number 

of such variants and long time 

period required for the calculations 

performing. Under such conditions 

the reasonable approach is to 

use two-stage simulation, when 

preliminary calculations allowing 

reducing a number of variants and 

evaluating degree of impact of 

each parameter on oil production 

levels are performed at the first 

stage using analytical models, and 

adjustments with a help of numerical 

hydrodynamic calculations and 

selection of the best variant are 

performed at the second stage. 

The paper [2] proposes the following 

model for calculation of flow rate 

of horizontal well with multi-stage 

hydraulic fracturing and transversal 

fractures arrangement: 

(1) 

The given equation consists of two 

parts, the first term of the equation 

describes fluid inflow to the fracture 

space border excluding external 

parts of the outermost fractures 

draining areas. 

External parts of the outermost 

fractures draining areas are 

accounted by the following equation 

where 

(2) 

– fracture total area; 

– half the length of a fracture from 

hydraulic fracturing; 

– distance to external boundary. 

Pressure at the border of 

interfracturing space: 

where , 

TABLE 2. Input data 

(3) 

Name of the indicator 

– length of a horizontal well; 

– number of fractures from 

hydraulic fracturing. 

Let us calculate flow rate of 

horizontal well with multi-stage 

hydraulic fracturing drilled under 

conditions of the producing bed 

АС11. The bed net oil pay thickness 

14 m. Rock pressure is 26 MPa, 

bottom-hole pressure is 5 MPa, 

average permeability of the bed 

is 3.5 · 10 -3 μm 2 . The input data for 

calculations are given in the table 2. 

One of the applied model 

disadvantages is the fact that fluid 

inflow to horizontal well having no 

fractures is not considered in the 

fluid flow rate calculations. Resulting 

uncertainty can be relevant when 

there is small number of fractures. 

But when number of fractures grows 

subsequently the error significantly 

decreases as far as the main part of 

the flow goes to the fractures. In this 

regard we do not consider HW with 

less than four fractures. 

The calculation results for fluid flow 

rate and pressure at the fracture 

space border are given in the 

Value 

Permeability of the bed k, 10 -3 μm 2 3.5 

Well length L, m 700 

Viscosity μ, mPa · s 1.4 

Rock pressure P rock , MPa 26 

Bottom-hole pressure P bh , MPa 5 

Half the length of a fracture x f , m 50 

Bed thickness h, m 14 

Distance to external boundary , m 300 

Volume factor b 1.2 

TABLE 3. The calculation results for fluid flow rate depending on hydraulic fractures number 

Hydraulic fractures 

number 

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 

P 0 , MPa 24.0 18.5 14.8 12.4 10.7 9.5 8.7 8.0 7.5 7.1 6.8 6.6 

Q, m 3 /day 148.0 186.9 212.7 230.1 241.9 250.3 256.4 260.9 264.4 267.1 269.2 271.0 


OFS 

FIG. 3. Fluid flow rate dependency from hydraulic fractures number 

amounts 5.3 percent, efficiency 

factor at average for the field 

equals 0.96. Oil viscosity at surface 

conditions is 0.87 g/cm 3 . 

The exponential decline factor: 

(4) 

where – production at the start of 

the calculation period; 

– production at the end of the 

calculation period. 

At the same time oil flow rate is 

calculated by the equation: 

where – time. 

(5) 

table 3. This dependency is given in 

the figure 3. 

As one can see in the figure 3, 

when there are more than 8 

fractures, no significant fluid flow 

rate increase is observed and 

when hydraulic fractures number 

increases subsequently the diagram 

is flattened. 

Let us consider the impact of some 

of the parameters on multi-stage 

hydraulic fracturing indicators. The 

figure 4 demonstrates dependencies 

of fluid flow rates from a number of 

hydraulic fractures for various half of 

the length values. 

When there is large number of 

hydraulic fractures, the impact of 

a fracture dimensions reduces 

significantly and the length of the 

well horizontal borehole has more 

considerable impact (Figure 5). 

Drilling of longer horizontal boreholes 

gives significant effect when more 

intensive flood pattern formation is 

applied. 

Flow rates decline shall be 

considered in the process of multistage 

hydraulic fracturing designing. 

Premature products flooding may 

occur when layout of the nearest 

injection wells is not taken into 

consideration. 

When exponential speed of flow rates 

decline is specified let us calculate 

cumulative oil production for 3 years 

[3]. For four wells which have already 

been drilled the average decline 

speed amounts 0.56. Initial flooding 

FIG. 4. Dependencies of fluid flow rates from a number of hydraulic fractures for various half of 

the length values 

FIG. 5. Dependencies of fluid flow rates from a number of hydraulic fractures in HW having 

various length values 


OFS 

FIG. 6. Oil flow rate decline curve 

Let us make a forecast of the 

average daily flow rates for 36 

months (3 years). The exponential 

decline factor equals 0.578. For 

example, let us consider flow rate 

of the horizontal well with a length 

of 700 meter, where seven cycles 

of hydraulic fracturing have been 

performed, initial flow rate by fluid 

amounts 250 m 3 /day, oil flow rate 

with consideration of flooding 

amounts 203.5 t/day. Flow rate 

changes according to the following 

law (Figure 6): 

(6) 

FIG. 7. Dependency of the cumulative oil production from hydraulic fractures number for their 

various half of the length values 

FIG. 8. Dependency of the cumulative oil production from hydraulic fractures number in HW 

having various length values 

Cumulative production is calculated 

by means of flow rate multiplying 

by a number of days in each month 

with subsequent summing up of the 

obtained values. With consideration 

of the efficiency factor, we obtain: 

where 

– efficiency factor; 

– average flow rate of the -th 

month; 

– number of days in -th month. 

(7) 

Let us calculate the cumulative oil 

withdrawal (Figures 7 and 8) for the 

dependencies given in the Figures 4 

and 5. 

Therefore, the built-up dependencies 

allows reducing the area of the 

appropriate variants searching 

significantly. 

The next step is building up of the 

hydrodynamic simulation model in 

the bounded bed with a constant 

pressure at the boundary – 

adjustment of a number of hydraulic 

fracturing stages and HW length. 

After that the calculations aimed 

at selection of the reasonable 

development system, wells 

arrangement according to the 

selected pattern and calculation of 

the forecasted oil production levels 

are performed. 

References 

1. The Priobskoe field development project design. – 

Ufa, UfaNIPIneft, 2012. 

2. Elkin, S.V. Simulation model used for calculation 

of horizontal well flow rate depending on 

number of fractures of a bed hydraulic fracturing 

/ S.V. Elkin [et al.] // Neftyanoe Khozyaystvo 

Magazine. – 2016. – No. 1. – P. 64 – 67. 

3. Dean, L. Production Decline Analysis / L. Dean, R. 

Mireault. // Reservoir Engineering for Geologists 

in Eng. – 2008. – Part 1. – P. 20 – 22. 


METHODS FOR DOWNHOLE 

EQUIPMENT INHIBITION 

OFS 

PRACTICE OF PROTECTION FROM CORROSION, ASPHALTENE SEDIMENTS, SALTING-UP AND APPEARANCE 

OF MECHANICAL IMPURITIES SHOWS THAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO REMOVE THE ACCUMULATIONS IS 

INHIBITION AND SELECTION OF REQUIRED REAGENT. 

THIS ARTICLE DESCRIBES THE METHODS AND TECHNOLOGIES OF INHIBITORY TREATMENTS FOR DOWNHOLE 

EQUIPMENT. ANALYTICAL CALCULATIONS TO DETERMINE AN EFFECTIVE SOLVENT AND JUSTIFICATION FOR ITS 

REQUIRED VOLUME ARE PRESENTED. CRITERIA OF APPLICABILITY OF DIFFERENT METHODS OF CORROSION 

PROTECTION FOR OIL PRODUCTION ENTERPRISES ARE DEVELOPED. DETERMINATION OF INHIBITOR CONTENT IN 

THE INJECTED SOLUTION OR PRODUCED WATER IS CARRIED OUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH METHODS OF ANALYSIS 

GIVEN IN RELEVANT TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS (TS) FOR THE REAGENT. EFFECTIVENESS OF CORROSION 

INHIBITORS SHOULD NOT BE LESS THAN 90%, I.E. THERE SHOULD BE A REDUCTION OF CORROSION RATIO BY A 

FACTOR OF 10 AND MORE*. IF INHIBITOR PROTECTION IS NOT SUFFICIENT, IT IS NECESSARY TO INCREASE THE 

INHIBITOR SPECIFIC FLOW, INJECT ANOTHER INHIBITOR OR CHANGE THE TREATMENT PERIODICITY 

UDC 622.276 

KEY WORDS: сorrosion, corrosion inhibitor, reagent selection, gravimetry, technical specifications, gas-lift valves, processing methods. 

Injection of corrosion inhibitor 

(complex-action reagent) into 

producing wells should be 

performed in the following ways [1]: 

1. Intermittent injection (squeezing) 

of inhibitor solution into the 

bottom-hole formation zone. 

2. Intermittent dosing (injection) of 

inhibitor into the annular space 

between casing column and 

tubing (well annulus). 

3. Constant dosing (injection) of 

inhibitor into the well annulus 

using dosing machine (dosing 

device, chemical dosing station). 

4. Constant dosing (injection) of 

inhibitor to suction of a pump 

using dosing machine (dosing 

device, chemical dosing station) 

and special purpose tubes that 

are installed on the outside of 

tubing during the servicing. 

5. Continuous dosing of soluble 

solid inhibitor from downhole 

container. 

Technology of squeezing 

the corrosion inhibitor 

into BHZ 

Technology of well treatment 

using the method of inhibitor 

solution delivery into the bottomhole 

formation zone includes the 

following operations: 

• selection of corrosion inhibitor and 

determination of its concentration, 

providing the required protective 

effect in the system or corrosion 

coupon; 

• calculation of corrosion inhibitor 

weight for delivery to the 

bottomhole zone, volume of 

water (oil) for preparation of 10% 

corrosion inhibitor solution and 

volume of overflush fluid injected 

in the bottomhole zone after 

injection of corrosion inhibitor 

solution; 

• running the technological tubing 

under the perforation range; 

• pulling the technological tubing for 

2 – 3 m over the perforation range 

top; 

• determination of bed intake rate (if 

it is lower than 100 m 3 /d, injection 

of inhibitor solution into the 

bottomhole zone should not be 

performed); 

• preparation of 100% corrosion 

inhibitor solution in boiler or 

measuring tank of CA-320 

(ЦА-320) unit; 

• injection of liquid mud in order 

to prepare the formation for 

Nurdi D. Bulchaev, 

Siberian Federal University 

Ph.D. in Engineering Science, 

Senior Lecturer, Head of 

Department of 

Development and Exploitation of 

Oil and Gas Deposits, 

Oil and Gas Institute 

Nataliya N. 

Pozdnyakova, 

Siberian Federal University 

Teaching Assistant at 

Department of Development 

and Exploitation of Oil and Gas 

Deposits, 

Oil and Gas Institute 


OFS 

inhibitor injection. Mutual solvents 

(WAW85202 (Baker Petrolite), 

ВР-1 (Experimental plant 

NefteHim and others) or nonionic 

or cation-active surfactant water 

solutions are used as liquid mud. 

Injection is performed with 

maximum flow rate of injected 

mutual solvent without hydraulic 

fracture in the following sequence: 

• cementing unit AC-32 (CA-320), 

[АЦ-32 (ЦА-320)], is connected 

to the well tube side for injection 

of the solution; 

• when casing valve is opened, 

the required volume of liquid 

mud is injected by means of acid 

pumping unit. When casing valve 

is opened, there will occur only 

the borehole cleanout without 

affecting the formation; 

• delivery of the main volume of 

inhibitor is performed by injection 

of the inhibitor (lacking volume 

after the mutual solvent injection 

for displacement of well-killing 

fluid from the tubing), it is injected 

when casing valve is opened in 

order to fill the remaining voidage 

of the tubing. Then the injection 

is stopped, the valve is closed 

and the remaining solution pills in 

required volume are injected into 

the formation. The 10% inhibitor 

solution is used (depending on 

the predicted protective effect). 

The injection is carried out using 

the same unit with maximum flow 

rate without hydraulic fracture; 

• delivery of the overflush fluid 

volume is carried out in order to 

push the inhibitor deeper into 

the formation. For displacement 

of inhibitor solution it is 

recommended to use 2% KCl 

solution, when injecting water 

solution of inhibitor and degassed 

oil, when injecting organic 

inhibitor solution. The injection 

is carried out, when the casing 

valve is closed, with maximum 

flow rate without hydraulic 

fracture. 

• response – the well is shut in 

for 12 – 24 hours, all works are 

suspended in order for corrosion 

inhibitor to be adsorbed on the 

reservoir formation; 

• technological tubing is pulled out 

and underground equipment is 

lowered; 

• well is put into run, then it is put 

into operation. 

Required quantity of mutual solvent 

is calculated by the following 

equitation: 

where – volume of mutual 

solvent for formation washing, m 3 , 

– penetrated-formation 

thickness, m. 

When the bottom-hole formation 

zone is used as a natural dosing 

unit, then the empirical rule of "onethird" 

is working (same as when 

applying salt inhibitors) [2]. This 

rule is as follows: the third part of 

corrosion inhibitor injected in the 

formation is irrevocably adsorbed 

on the deposit rock (during the first 

few treatments); the third part of 

corrosion inhibitor injected in the 

formation is subtracted during the 

first few days (from 3 to 15) after 

start of well performance; and only 

the remaining third part of corrosion 

inhibitor injected in the formation is 

being subtracted for long period of 

time. 

Therefore, calculation of corrosion 

inhibitor weight for injection in 

the bottom-hole formation zone 

is carried out using the following 

formula: 

where – concentration of this 

corrosion inhibitor in produced fluid 

that provide the required protective 

effect in the system or corrosion 

coupon, mg/l (approximately 

g/t); – fluid mass flow rate, 

m 3 /d (approximately t/d); – 

estimated time of corrosion inhibitor 

subtraction from the formation, d; 

1,000 – factor for conversion of 

grams into kilograms; 3 – coefficient 

of "one-third" rule. 

Overflush fluid volume , m 3 , is 

calculated by the following formula: 

where – effective formation 

porosity, unit fraction; – internal 

radius of ingress of burned inhibitor 

solution in the formation, m. It is 

taken as 1.5 – 2.0 m and is specified 

based on the results of observation 

over the duration of reagent 

subtraction; – formation 

thickness, m; – tubing volume, 

m 3 ; – volume of production casing 

from pump suction or tubing intake 

to bottom perforations, m 3 ; = 3,14. 

If well-killing fluid volume is 130 m 3 , 

then overflush fluid volume will be 

0,2 · 3,14 · 1,5 2 · 500 + 130= 840 m 3 ; in 

this case the well protection time will 

be not less than 365 days. 

When installing the block-pills, the 

squeezing process is carried out till 

their installation by squeezing the 

reagent through the tubular annulus. 

Technology of intermittent 

dosing of inhibitor into the 

casing annulus 

Technology of well treatment using 

the method of intermittent injection 

of corrosion inhibitor solution into 

the casing annulus is simpler 

compared to the technology of 

inhibitor solution injection into 

the bottom-hole formation zone 

described above. Partly therefore, 

the method of inhibitor injection 

into the casing annulus is more 

common. Corrosion inhibitor is 

delivered to casing annulus in form 

of 10% solution in oil or water. 

The advantage of this technology 

compared to the technology of 

inhibitor solution injection into the 

bottom-hole formation zone is that 

batch treatments can be carried out 

during well operation, and not only 

when the wells are being serviced. 

The disadvantage of this technology 

is the necessity of more frequent 

(in average 1 time per 30 days) 

treatments [3]. 

The technology of intermittent 

dosing of inhibitor into the casing 

annulus solves the following main 

problems: 

• protection of well underground 

equipment against corrosion with 

time between repairs of more than 

60 – 150 days. 

• protection of working level casing 

column against corrosion; 

• corrosion inhibitor saving (due to 

the absence of required adsorption 

on the deposit rock). 


OFS 

The technology of intermittent 

dosing of inhibitor into the casing 

annulus consists of the following 

operations: 

• selection of corrosion inhibitor 

and determination of its 

concentration, providing the 

required protective effect in the 

system or corrosion coupon. 

• calculation of corrosion inhibitor 

weight for delivery to the casing 

annulus, calculation of volume 

of oil (water) for preparation of 

10% corrosion inhibitor solution 

and volume of overflush fluid, 

injected in the bottomhole zone 

after injection of corrosion 

inhibitor; 

• preparation of 100% corrosion 

inhibitor solution in boiler or 

measuring tank of CA-320 

(ЦА-320) unit; 

• injection of inhibitor solution in 

the casing annulus by CA-320 

(ЦА-320) unit without ESCP 

stopping (when the casing valve 

is opened). 

Calculation of corrosion inhibitor 

weight for injection in the casing 

annulus is carried out using the 

following formula: 

where – concentration of 

this corrosion inhibitor in the 

produced fluid that provides the 

required protective effect in the 

system or corrosion coupon, mg/l 

(approximately g/t); – fluid mass 

flow rate, m 3 /d (approximately t/d); 

– periodicity of well treatments 

with corrosion inhibitor, d; 1,000 – 

factor for conversion of grams 

into kilograms; 2 – coefficient, 

taking into account the fact that 

nearly half of corrosion inhibitor 

is subtracted during the first few 

days. 

For wells operating in bottom-hole 

filtration mode, application of such 

technology is inappropriate due to 

the following reasons: 

• weighting up of inhibitor solution 

will lead to incompatibility of 

commercial form with weighing 

fluid and to possible precipitation 

of inhibitor active substance; 

• application of flushing for such 

wells will sharply decrease the 

technology efficiency due to 

rapid inhibitor subtraction. 

Technology of continuous 

dosing of corrosion inhibitor 

by means of dosing device 

(chemical dosing station) 

During continuous dosing by 

means of dosing device (chemical 

dosing device) without special 

purpose tubes, the inhibitor is 

injected directly into the well 

annulus through the chemical 

injection unit. 

During continuous dosing with 

application of special purpose 

tubes, the works on installation 

of capillary tube and controlledvolume 

pump are performed in 

accordance with the requirements 

attached to them, and rules of 

construction and installation 

operations. 

During continuous dosing into the 

casing annulus or well flowline, 

the corrosion inhibitor daily flow 

(generally, of commercial form) is 

calculated by the following formula: 

During the first day, the inhibitor 

is delivered in "shocking dosage" 

mode. The dose is 2 – 3 times 

higher than optimum dose. Then 

its flow is reduced to the optimum 

dose. 

Protection level control is carried 

out based on the specified 

periodicity of collection of liquid 

samples and determination of 

residual content of corrosion 

inhibitor in water. Based on the 

residual inhibitor content, the 

adjustment of delivery of controlledvolume 

pump is performed. 

Technology of continuous 

dosing by means of 

downhole container 

Process flow diagram of inhibitor 

use in container is as follows: first, 

the container is lowered into the 

well, then is lowered the filter (if oil 

is extracted by sucker-rod pumping 

unit or by free-flow production 

method), then the liner. Pumping 

equipment and tubing casing are 

installed in the end. 

When using ESCP, submersible 

downhole container is connected 

to the bottom part of the ESCP, 

and the reagent protects the 

whole pumping unit due to its low 

solubility in extracted product. 

After lowering downhole equipment 

and launching the well, the 

produced fluids wash the reagent 

through perforation. The reagent 

is then gradually dissolved in 

produced fluids and is subtracted 

with well production, i.e. its self 

dosing occurs. 


OFS 

TABLE 1. Criteria of applicability of different methods of corrosion protection 

No. Protection method Criteria of applicability 

1 

Application of low and medium alloy 

steel, high chrome steels (5%) 

Corrosion ratio (medium corrosion activity) 2.0 mm/h 

2 

Application of stainless steels (chrome 

content 13% and higher) 

No limitations 

3 Application of fiberglass tubing 

Performance of tripping at T not lower than -30°С, 

Abrasive wear susceptibility 

Special storage conditions (without exposure to sunlight) 

Necessity to use special tools and substitutes for mounting/dismounting 

Coupling large diameter – 95.4mm 

Working temperature 110°С 

4 Neozinc Thermodiffusion Zinc Coating No resistance in acid and alkaline mediums 

5 Silicate enamel coating 

Brittleness, susceptibility to spalling at deformations of tubing metal during 

tripping, especially in male section 

6 Epoxy coating Upper temperature limit +90°С 

7 Argof Polyester Coating Abrasive wear susceptibility 

8 PoiyPlex-P Polyurethane Coating No limitations * 

9 Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) Coating No limitations * 

10 Periodic inhibition through annulus 

At suspended solids of 100 mg/l, liquid-gas mixture speed on top is 3 m/s 

At suspended solids of 500 g/l, liquid-gas mixture speed on top is 1 m/s 

At suspended solids of >500 mg/l not applicable 

No protection for downhole motor case 

Not applicable at well performance through annulus 

Risk of electrocorrosion 

11 Constant inhibition through annulus 

At suspended solids of 100 mg/l, liquid-gas mixture speed is 5 m/s 


At suspended solids of 1,000 mg/l, liquid-gas mixture speed is 1 m/s 


Not applicable at well performance through annulus 

Risk of electrocorrosion 


12 Constant dosing through capillary tube 



At suspended solids of 1,000 mg/l, liquid-gas mixture speed is 1 m/s 

Necessity of well service / workover for technology launching 

Possibility of targeted protection (including downhole motor case) 

13 Inhibitor squeezing into the formation 

Mass flow rate 200 m 3 /d 

Inhibitor thermal stability 

Necessity of well service / workover for technology launching 

14 Use of spring measuring container 

Mass flow rate 50 m 3 /d 

Necessity of well service / workover for technology launching, dibhole availability 

15 

CP with use of cathodic protection 

station 

16 Ground protection 

17 High velocity oxygen fuel For ESCP protection 

* – as reported by manufacturer 

For protection of casing pipe external surface 

When used for ESCP protection, running of additional cable or four-core cable is 

required 

No protection for tubing internal surface 

Applicable for ESCP protection 

Watercut 60% 

Efficiency of corrosion inhibitor 

from downhole container is 

determined based on the run 

time increase. It should be noted 

that the downhole container 

volume is limited and not all 

suppliers provide the procedure 

for determination of residual 

content of corrosion inhibitor. 

Therefore, it is practically 

impossible to determine the 

control of protection period. Table 

1 gives criteria of applicability of 

different methods of corrosion 

protection. 


ADS

OFS 

During treatment, the following 

parameters should be checked: 

• during intermittent dosing of 

inhibitor in the well, the volume 

of injected solution or inhibitor is 

checked (once, after completion of 

treatment); 

• during squeezing inhibitor into the 

formation, the volume of injected 

solution or inhibitor (once, after 

completion of treatment), volume 

of overflush fluid (once, after 

completion of treatment), time to 

inhibitor adsorption (once, during 

launch of well mode) are checked. 

Content of inhibitor in produced 

water of producing wells is 

determined on a regular basis (once 

a month during squeezing into well 

and twice a monthduring periodic 

delivery to casing annulus). 

Determination of inhibitor content in 

injected solution or produced water 

is carried out in accordance with 

methods of analysis stated in TS for 

reagent. 

Rate of controlled-volume pump, 

volume of injected reagents are 

checked by measurement of solution 

level using batch boxes (installed on 

containers with inhibitor solution) or 

using flow meters. 

In case the inhibitor in produced 

water is under minimum acceptable 

level, the process team together with 

laboratory should make decision on 

correction of inhibition technology, 

extra treatment. 

Conclusions and 

recommendations 

Efficiency of corrosion inhibitor is 

determined based on comparison of 

the run time of downhole and other 

equipment with and without use of 

inhibitor, taking into account the 

quantity of well service and workover 

due to equipment corrosion, costs 

for replaced equipment. 

For control of corrosion ratio and 

protective effect of reagents, probe 

sensors (gravimetry and LPR 

method), installed on producing 

well flowlines, as well as corrosion 

coupons can be used: in gas lift 

wells the fishnecks of gas lift valves 

are used, in ESP wells the cassettes 

with coupons are used, they are 

suspended on wire inside the 

tubing. 

Corrosion inhibitor efficiency should 

be not less than 90%, i.e. reduction 

of corrosion ratio by a factor of 10 

and more should be achieved*. If 

inhibitor protection is not sufficient, 

it is necessary to increase the 

inhibitor specific flow, inject another 

inhibitor or change the treatment 

periodicity. 

References 

1. Microbial corrosion and its agents / E.I. Andreyuk, 

V.I. Bilay, E.Z. Koval, I.A. Kozlova. – Kiev: Naukova 

dumka. – 1980. – P. 288. 

2. Some aspects of protection of oilfield equipment 

and pipelines from microbiological corrosion / I.V. 

Strizhevskiy // Series "Corrosion and Protection in 

Petroleum Industry". – Moscow: VNIIOENG. – 1979. 

– P. 56. 

3. Methods to protect metals from corrosion in 

conditions of oil production / N.D. Bulchaev. / The 

Second European Conference on Earth Sciences 

Magazine, No.5, 2015, p. 56 – 65. 

ADS

OFS 

INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE 

GRADIENT ON DDM ELASTOMER 

STABILITY DURING SIMULATION OF 

TRIPPING PROCESSES 

THE ARTICLE IS DEVOTED TO THE EXPERIMENT ON EVALUATION OF STABILITY OF THE DOWNHOLE DRILLING 

MOTOR ELASTOMER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE GRADIENT DURING SIMULATION OF TRIPPING 

PROCESSES. THE CHANGES OF DIAMETER OF IRP-1226 RUBBER SPECIMENS IN THE PRESENCE OF DIFFERENT 

DISPERSION MEDIUMS, AS WELL AS THEIR WEAR RATE AFFECTED BY CUTTER WERE INVESTIGATED. 

THE RELEVANCE OF DEVELOPMENT OF THEORETICAL APPROACH TO DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESSES 

OCCURRING IN ELASTOMER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DOWNHOLE CONDITIONS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF 

THE DOWNHOLE DRILLING MOTOR OPERATION WAS CONFIRMED. IT WAS NOTED THAT IMPROVEMENT OF 

SPECIMENS WEAR RESISTANCE DURING LONG-TIME EXPOSURE TO TEMPERATURE IN SALT BRINE COULD BE 

USED TO INCREASE THE STATOR LIFE DURATION 

UDC 622.24 

KEY WORDS: elastomer, DDM, well, drill mud, down hole motor. 

Anton V. Epikhin, 

Senior Lecturer at the 

Department of Well Drilling, 

Institute of Natural Resources, 

National Research Tomsk 

Polytechnic University 

Roman E. 

Shcherbakov, 

student of the Department of 

Borehole Drilling, 

Institute of Natural Resources, 

National Research Tomsk 


Over the past ten years the 

downhole drilling motors have 

evolved into an effective technical 

device for oil and gas well drilling 

and servicing ensuring high 

technical and economic indices. In 

every oil sector at specific drilling 

intervals the downhole drilling 

motors have provided a severalfold 

increase of penetration per 

run in comparison with turbodrill 

at a slight decrease in drilling rate, 

leading to a significant increase in 

drilling speed per run and decrease 

in cost per 1 meter of penetration. 

Solving problems of servicing the 

wells of different categories has 

become much easier and cheaper; 

workover technical capabilities 

have been expanded making it 

possible to include the long-term 

suspended emergency wells into 

the number of producing ones in 

some cases [1, 2]. 

PS is one of the names of 

power section of the downhole 

drilling motor. That is the detail 

that defines the main energy 

parameters of the down hole motor, 

as well as its lifetime and mean 

time before failure. With all its 

advantages, a disadvantage of the 

downhole drilling motor is the rapid 

wear of power section. Engine real 

operating time is 150 – 200 hours 

to the estimated operating time of 

400 – 500 hours [3]. 

In the process of the downhole 

drilling motor operation, different 

types of wear of working surfaces 

of rotor and stator, depending on 

the mode of operation, properties 

and composition of conveyed fluid 

are observed. Analysis of operating 

conditions and nature of operating 

device worn parts demonstrates 

the combination of more than one 

type of wear. In the main the engine 

malfunction is related to wear of the 

stator elastomer insert [3 – 5]. 

Friction of the profile metal rotor 

over the conjugated screw surface 

of the stator elastomer insert 

causes one-sided friction wear of 

the operating device surfaces – on 

the left side of the rotor teeth or on 

the right side of the stator profile 

branch, viewed from the side of 

fluid inlet into the operating devices. 

Increase in load (pressure) and 

sliding velocity (speed of rotation) 

result in higher level of parts friction 

wear and premature failure of power 

section [4]. 

The elastomer operability depends 

on the combination of the elastomer 

insert strain-stress state and 


OFS 

conveyed fluid corrosive properties. 

Therefore, during the downhole 

drilling motor operation it is 

necessary to pay special attention 

to the selection of appropriate drill 

mud. The elastomer as technical 

material should have a low gas 

impermeability and water tightness, 

as well as chemical resistance. 

However, most elastomers are 

able to absorb gas and lightly 

corrosive fluids. The following are 

typical changes the elastomers are 

subjected to: swelling, shrinkage, 

solidification, softening [2, 4, 5]. 

Furthermore, the bottomhole 

temperature is a limiting factor for 

engine operation. Series-production 

domestic engines are designed 

for long-term operation at the 

bottomhole temperature up to 

100°С. At the rise in temperature 

in IRP-1226 rubber (used in most 

domestic engines) irreversible 

changes of mechanical properties 

occur leading to faster wear 

of the stator elastomer insert, 

performance deterioration and 

premature failure of the down hole 

motor power section. 

As a result, it was decided to carry 

out the experimental researches 

on evaluation of stability of 

IRP-1226 rubber specimens at 

engine temperature rise under the 

influence of different mediums. 

During this experiment the 

process of drill-string running 

was simulated; running speed 

was assumed to be 1.5 m/s. 

The following parameters were 

determined as the design basis: 

total vertical depth – 2,670 m, 

geothermal gradient – 3°С/100 

m, drillpipe stand length – 30 

m (deemed time for making 

a connection – 4 min). The 

following items were calculated 

in accordance with the initial 

parameters: experiment duration – 

384 min, engine end temperature 

– 80°С. 

Simulation of drill-string running 

and consequently the rise of drill 

mud temperature were carried out 

in a desiccator. Test specimens 

were made in the shape of cylinder 

with diameter up to 43 mm and 

thickness up to 11.5 mm. They 

were kept in plastic containers 

with total immersion into the 

liquid medium. Processing the 

experiment results, the changes 

of the specimen weight and its 

diameter at the temperature rise in 

the liquid medium were assessed. 

Initial measurement of input 

parameters was made at the 

temperature of 25°С; further 

measurements were made after 

every 5°C rise in temperature, 

simulating then the drill-string 

running for 165 m (23.5 min of the 

experiment). Reaching the depth of 

1,680 m, the specimen parameters 

were measured after every 10°С 

rise in temperature, simulating then 

the drill-string running for 330 m 

(50 min of the experiment). 

Processing and analyzing the 

obtained data, the following 

correlations were exposed. After 

completion of the experiment, the 

weight reduction was observed for 

all specimens. Nevertheless, in the 

temperature range of 25 to 50°С 

most specimens had no expressed 

tendency towards weight variation; 

its random variation was observed. 

The exceptions were the specimens 

immersed in the salt brine; 

these specimens demonstrated 

the tendency towards the 

weight reduction throughout 

the experiment. The specimens 

immersed in solution based on 

diesel fuel, oil and multigrade lowtemperature 

hydraulic oil (see Table 

1) were subjected to maximum 

relative weight variation. The weight 

reduction can be attributed to the 

washing-out of rubber plasticizer 

from IRP-1226 specimens. 

For all specimens, it was recorded 

the growth in diameter as the 

temperature became closer to 

80°С. The temperature range of 25 

to 40 – 50°С has no clear tendency 

towards an increase or reduction 

in size of the specimens which is 

illustrative of the potential danger 

for elastomer. The maximum 

relative diameter change was 

demonstrated by the specimens 

immersed in multigrade lowtemperature 

hydraulic oil, salt brine 

and oil. The specimens placed in 

the alkaline solution (see Table 1) 

were subjected to the minimum 

relative diameter change. 

Thus, the whole temperature 

interval studied for the analyzed 

dispersing mediums may have 

a negative impact on the DDM 

stator. Uncontrolled variation of 

engine performance can occur 

within the range of 25 – 50°С 

due to the change of gap width 

and consequently the tightness 

FIG. 1. Dependence of IRP-1226 specimen diameter change from temperature in the presence 

of different dispersing mediums 


OFS 

TABLE 1. Maximum values of weight and volume deviation from initial parameters 

Solution 

Maximum deviation from 

initial weight, g (medium 

temperature, °С) 

Maximum deviation from 

initial diameter, mm 

(medium temperature, °С) 

Oil +0.43 (70) +0.71 (80) 

FIG. 2. Cylindrical sleeve for research: 

1 – sleeve, 2 – clamping cover 

Diesel fuel +0.59 (50) +0.46 (80) 

Multigrade lowtemperature 

hydraulic 

oil 

-0.39 (30) +1.17 (80) 

Salt brine -0.14 (35, 80) +0.92 (80) 

Alkaline solution +0.25 (40) +0.43 (80) 

Watery solution +0.2 (35) +0.59 (80) 

in pair "rotor-stator". At the high 

temperatures, it is observed the 

elastomer swelling, which can 

cause the engine stator premature 

failure due to the increased friction 

loads on it. 

specimen wear-out. Upright drilling 

machine was used as the test stand 

drive. The speed of rotation was 

constant for all experiments and 

was equal to 180 r/min. Load on 

the tool was created by means of 

weighting cargo on the machine 

wheel and was equal to 2 kg for all 

experiments. Research results are 

provided in Table 2. 

The second experiment stage 

was the evaluation of resistance 

to wear of IRP-1226 rubber 

specimens that were exposed 

to temperature gradient of 25- 

80°С during simulation of the 

downhole drilling motor running. 

Wear conditions were created in 

special cylindrical sleeve, which 

structure allows for rigid fixation 

of the specimen (see fig. 2). After 

installation and fixation of the 

specimen, the sleeve was filled 

with dispersing medium of drill 

mud. 

Abrasing effect on the specimen 

was created by means of special 

purpose tool with cutting profile of 

2х25 mm in size (see fig. 3). The 

tool was selected to accelerate the 

process of the experiment till the 

FIG. 3. Tool for abrasing effect on the 

specimen 

TABLE 2. Results of the experiment on evaluation of wear time of elastomer specimens after 

simulation of tripping process 

Dispersing 

medium 

Oil 

Salt brine 

Diesel fuel 

Alkaline 

solution 

Weight, g Diameter, mm Wear time, min 

20.63 42.55 42 

21.34 43.17 33 

19.64 43.43 35 

22.71 43.11 3 

19.82 43.27 4 

19.97 42.79 6 

19.82 42.62 33 

21.35 42.82 43 

22.15 42.56 45 

20.46 42.76 3 

20.17 42.32 2 

21.75 42.68 3 

19.75 42.65 2 

Mean wear 

time, min 

36.67 

4.33 

40.33 

2.67 

Water 

Multigrade lowtemperature 

hydraulic oil 

28.23 43.33 6 

23.53 42.69 4 

20.01 42.84 4 

21.75 42.29 5 

20.68 42.39 5 

4.00 

4.67 


OFS 

TABLE 3. Wear time of elastomer specimens under various experimental conditions 

Dispersing medium 

No preliminary holding 

in dispersing medium 

Holding for more 

than 300 hours at 

temperature of 75°С 

Holding for more 

than 300 hours at 

temperature of 25°С 

after preliminary 

freezing for 72 hours 

Simulation of tripping 

process – holding for 6.5 

hours at temperature 

range of 25 to 80°С 

Diesel fuel 17.6 min 9.8 min 1.3 min 40.3 min 

Salt brine 2.6 min 25 min 8.1 min 4.3 min 

Processing and analyzing the 

obtained data, the following 

correlations were exposed. Most 

wear resistant were specimens 

subjected to temperature action 

and then degraded in the presence 

of oil and diesel fuel. Mean time of 

wear-out made 35 – 40 minutes. 

Other dispersing mediums showed 

similar wear time (2 – 4 minutes). 

Minimum values were recorded for 

the alkaline solution. 

It is noted that the data obtained 

are inconsistent with early studies, 

during which the elastomer 

specimens were degraded being 

in dispersion medium for 300 – 400 

hours at different temperatures. 

Table 3 gives the values of wear 

time of specimens under various 

conditions of specimens 

preparation through the example 

of dispersion mediums: diesel 

fuel and salt brine. Analyzing 

the data provided in the table, a 

strong influence of temperature 

factor on wear-resistance in 

conducting the experiments 

with diesel fuel can be noted. 

For salt brine, a reverse trend 

was observed – presence of the 

specimen in the solution under 

the action of temperature for long 

period leads to significant growth 

of wear-resistance. 

Thus, the relevance of 

development of theoretical 

approach to description of the 

processes occurring in the 

elastomer under the influence of 

downhole conditions at different 

stages of the downhole drilling 

motor operation is confirmed. 

Additionally, the increase of 

specimens wear resistance 

during long-time exposure to 

temperature in the salt brine can 

be used to increase the stator life 

duration in general. As lines for 

future research it is proposed to 

carry out a series of experiments 

on assessment of wear rate 

of elastomer specimen in the 

presence of diesel fuel after its 

preliminary holding in salt brine. 

This work was supported by the Russian 

Foundation for Basic Research 

(project No.16-38-00701 мол_а) 

References 

1. D.F. Baldenko, F.D. Baldenko, A.N. 

Gnoevykh. Screw hydraulic machines. 

Volume 2. Moscow: Information and 

Advertising Center of Gazprom LLC, 2007, 

470 p. 

2. O.I. Fufachev. Study and development of 

new designs of operating parts of downhole 

drilling motors to improve their energy and 

operations characteristics: authors abstract: 

… Ph.D. in Engineering Science: 05.02.13 / 

Oleg I. Fufachev. – Moscow, 2011. – 138 p. 

3. D.F. Baldenko, Yu.A. Korotaev. Current state 

and prospects of development of domestic 

screw downhole motors [Electronic source] 

// Journal "Burenie i neft", No.3, 2012 

4. D.A. Goldobin, Yu.A. Korotaev. Features 

of design and technology of production 

of downhole drilling motor stators of 

VNIIBT-Drilling Tools Ltd., reinforced with 

steel screw thin-wall shell// Construction 

of oil and gas wells onshore and offshore. 

Moscow: JSC "VNIIOENG". – 2010. – No.11. 

– P. 2–4. 

5. O.I. Fufachev, .A. Goldobin. New designs of 

downhole drilling motor stators made by 

VNIIBT-Drilling Tools Ltd. // Burenie i neft. – 

2010. – No.6. – P.50–55. 


DRILLING 


SPECIAL 

APPROACH TO 

UNIQUE FIELD 

DRILLING FLUIDS FOR DRILLING 

AT MESSOYAKHA 

Yelena Alifirova 

38



WELL DRILLING AT MESSOYAKHSKOYE FIELD HAS A RANGE OF GEOLOGICAL PECULIARITIES. THE 

MAIN PRODUCTIVE STRATA ARE REPRESENTED BY TERRIGENOUS RESERVOIR, WHICH ARE VERY 

SCATTERED IN A HORIZONTAL SENSE AND IN TERMS OF SECTIONS. OIL-BEARING CAPACITY OF THE 

AREA IS DETERMINED BY CENOMANIAN HORIZONS. ALL FIELDS OF THE GROUP ARE CHARACTERIZED BY 

PRESENCE OF A SIGNIFICANT GAS-CAP, WHICH, FOR EXAMPLE, DOES NOT ALLOW TO USE STANDARD 

WAYS OF PRODUCTION STIMULATION AT VOSTOCHNO (EASTERN)-MESSOYAKHSKOYE FIELD TO THE 

FULL EXTENT. THESE AND OTHER PECULIARITIES DURING WELL CONSTRUCTION IMPOSE HEIGHTENED 

REQUIREMENTS TO USED TECHNOLOGIES AND MATERIALS AND ALSO, IN PARTICULAR, TO QUALITY OF 

THE WASHING LIQUID 

UDC 622.244 


KEYWORDS: drilling, drilling fluids, Messoyakhskoye field, Siberian Service company, washing liquid. 

Mining-and-geological characteristics of the 

section at Vostochno-Messoyakhskoye oil, gas 

and condensate field have led the specialists 

of Siberian Service company, which carries 

out drilling works, to a range of geological 

challenges. An answer to these challenges, 

connected with heightened requirements to 

quality of the washing liquid, became special 

drilling fluid formulations, producing the 

maximum effect at drilling in the northernmost 

points of the country. 

The formulation has been selected on the basis 

of increase in thermal resistance, stability and 

reinforcement of the borehole. When choosing 

the drilling fluid at this field, the specialists have 

paid special attention to ensuring of high quality 

of the producing horizon drilling-in. 

FACTS 

East Messoyakha oilfield is 

the third project successfully 

implemented by Gazprom 

Neft in the Arctic, following 

Novoportovskoe and 

Prirazlomnoe fields 

150- 

400 tons per day – launch 

flow rate of the well at 

Messoyakha oilfield 

4.2 mln 

tons of oil – estimated 

output at the Messoyakha 

oilfield for 2018 

Clay mud, polymer-clay, 

polymer-clay inhibited, 

biopolymer inhibited solution 

“EKTA-SIL”, and also heatresisting 

fluid “EKTA-TERM” 

have met imposed requirements 

to the full extent. 

Components of these drilling 

fluids do not adversely affect 

the soils, which is very topical, 

taking into account ecological 

fastidiousness of the northern 

regions. And such properties, 

as increase of the borehole 

stability and resistance to high 

temperatures, make possible to 

use these drilling fluids on the 

fields in any other regions. 

The services on drilling-fluid 

services are provided by 

Siberian Service company, the 

branch of SSK-Technologiya. 

Subdivisions of the branch 

in the regions, where SSK 

operates, allow to carry 

out these works both for 

subdivisions of SSK itself, and 

for the third-party customers. 

When developing programs 

on preparation of drilling fluids 

and their laboratory check, all 

the customer’s requirements 

and peculiarities of the well 

are taken into account. At the 

facilities, industrial engineers 

ensure control over preparation 

of the drilling fluid and tracking 

of the process of its use, prompt 

response to change of drilling 

conditions. 

39

DRILLING 

INNOVATIONS 

IN WELL-BORING 

under Complicated Geological Conditions 

of Kuyumbinskoe Oilfield 

KUYUMBINSKOE OILFIELD EXHIBITS IRREGULAR DEPTH OF PRODUCTIVE STRATA, IRREGULAR STRUCTURE 

OF OIL AND GAS RESERVOIR AS WELL AS HIGHLY FISSURED ROCKS. THESE PECULIARITIES RESULT IN 

SIGNIFICANT LOSSES OF DRILLING AGENT AND SEVERELY AFFECTS EFFICIENCY OF BORING. THEREFORE, THE 

CONTRACTORS ARE FORCED TO SEARCH FOR NON-STANDARD APPROACHES. IN 2014 INVESTGEOSERVICE 

COMPANY STARTED ITS CONSTRUCTION WORKS RELATED TO OIL-WELLS IN KUYUMBINSKOE OILFIELD ACTING 

AS A GENERAL CONTRACTOR. WHAT PROBLEMS, RELATED TO REMOTED LOCATIONS OF THE OILFIELDS AND 

PECULIARITIES OF GEOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION, DID THE COMPANY FACE WHEN ERECTING OIL WELLS AND 

WHAT SOLUTIONS DID THE EXPERTS OF INVESTGEOSERVICE OFFER? 

ADS 

KEYWORDS: Kuyumbinskoe oilfield, horizontal drilling, air-hammer drilling, well rig BU “Arctic”, fissured rocks. 

Roman Atlasovich 

Khairov, 

Deputy director of 

Engineering Department 

Investgeoservice JSC 

Investgeoservice Group of 

Companies is a high-tech 

oilfield services company which 

renders complete range of 

building of oil and gas wells 

of any complexity, structure, 

and purpose (exploration, 

prospecting, operation ones), 

including extended-reach drilling 

(ERD) wells and multi-bore wells 

depending on the customer’s 

needs. The company operates in 

the territory of Yamalo-Nenetsky 

autonomous region including the 

Yamal peninsula and the Gydan 

peninsula, Krasnoyarsky region, 

and the Komi Republic mainly 

in difficult mining and geological 

conditions as well as in adverse 

climatic conditions. 

To perform works in Kuyumbinskoe 

oilfield, Investgeoservice Group of 

Companies decided to use drilling 

rig 6000/400 EK-BMC Arktika 

(2000 NR). In accordance with 

specifications, it was necessary to 

bore several horizontal wells with 

well bore depth of up to 4200 m 

within a single cluster. 

Traditional technology of directional 

drilling with surface casing takes 

into account geological peculiarity 

of the oilfield: the presence of 

fissuring in the upper intervals. 

Normally, this peculiarity involves 

drilling without returns. Such 

approach causes problems 

related to water supply as water 

consumption usually amounts to 

1.5 to 3 thousand cubic meters. 

In case water intake wells are not 

available or feature insufficient well 

flow rates, water shortage results in 

increased time-related costs. After 

having considered all factors, the 

company decided to take measures 

of additional technical water supply 

for traditional drilling technology 

(additional tank farm arranged and 

two water intake wells drilled) and 

also to carry out trial works using 

the technology of air drilling which 

was not previously used in the 

region. 

It was decided to use a mobile 

drilling rig for drilling upper borehole 

sections using the technology 

of air drilling or foam drilling. 


DRILLING 

Well design 

520 mm borehole – 50 m 

426*11 mm direction 

394 mm borehole – 

500 m 

324*9.5 mm surface 

casing 

The use of the mobile drilling rig 

would help to solve two problems: 

reduce the construction period 

due to preliminary drilling of the 

upper sections with simultaneous 

mounting of powerful drilling rig 

Arktika and successful drilling 

through upper fissured rocks. At 

the same time, mounting technique 

appropriate for Arktika drilling rig 

was developed and implemented 

for well positions 3rd to 5th in the 

drilling cluster. Further, Arktika 

drilling rig would be moved to 

already drilled upper borehole 

sections. 

The following equipment was used 

to support air drilling and foam 

drilling: high-pressure compressors, 

refrigerating plant, air-hammer 

drilling plant, diverter, bit for airhammer 

drilling. 

First, subdrilling of 7 to 10 meters 

was made using a bucket auger in 

order to mount the diverter. 

Further directed drilling was 

performed by the air-hammer 

394 mm with the following 

drilling parameters: load 2 to 

3 ton, 20 rpm, air blowing with 

volumetric flow rate Q – 76 m 3 /min. 

Penetration speed reached 20 to 

100 m/hour. 

However, in the process of trial 

drilling using this approach, it 

appeared that some complications 

as slough and crumbling 

accompanied drilling at depth 

below 150 meters. The use of air 

hammer drilling and air blowing in 

slightly cemented rocks provoked 

the erosion and collapse of soil, 

increased borehole diameter 

and reduced air flow velocity, 

which factors ultimately made 

the technology impracticable. 

Specification of boring 

casing 

Casing pipe 426*11 mm D 

NORMKB 

324*9,5 mm D 

OTTMA 

Cementing program 

Cement solution 1.85 g/cm 3 

0 – 50 m 


0 – 400 m, 


400 – 500 m 

As a result, the drilling was 

recommenced using conventional 

technology without returns; at that 

two previously drilled water-supply 

wells and the additional tank farm 

were used. 

At the same time, the experience 

of usage of hammer drilling 

Assembling for directional drilling 

Description of bottom hole assembly (BHA) 

tools, gaseous and foam agents 

showed positive results as regards 

penetration speed compared to 

conventional drilling technique with 

taking into account the technology 

of simultaneous casing within the 

intervals where the rocks tend to 

collapse or to crumble. 

In order to reach the goal, 

the company has developed 

the technology of drilling with 

simultaneous casing of wells. 

Drilling with simultaneous casing 

makes it possible to lower the 

casing pipes into the loose rocks 

by means of downhole percussion 

hammer and provides a possibility 

of pulling the bit after the casing 

pipes have been lowered. The 

system can be used for drilling 

wells in various rocks with loose 

No. Components of BHA Size (mm) Length (m) 

1. Bucket auger 520 

2. Sub 200 х З-171 0.85 

3. Pipe taps UBT 203 203 4.50 

4. Weighted drill pipes UBT 203 203 9.40 

5. Sub N З-171хM З-133 0.5 

6. Kelly bar VBT 112 11.4 

Description of bottom hole assembly (BHA) 

No. Components of BHA Size (mm) Length (m) 

1. Bit CONCAVE SD 12 394 

2. Air hammer MACH 122 273 

3. Sub M З-152 х M З-171 

4. Weighted drill pipes UBT 203 203 9.40 

5. Sub N З-171 х M З-152 

6. Casing centralizer OD = 374 mm 374 1.50 

7. Sub N З-152 х M З-133 

8. Short steel drill pipe SBT – 127 127 2.00 

9. Steel drill pipe – 127 127 100.00 

10. Check valve N З-133 х M З-133 

11. Steel drill pipe SBT – 127 127 100.00 






DRILLING 

strata lying over solid inclusions 

(for instance, boulders or 

cobblestone) or alternating rocks 

as well as for slightly cemented 

rocks. 

The main parts of the system are 

a pilot bit and a drive casing shoe. 

The casing shoe is welded to 

bottom part of the boring casing. 

The shoe features a lock to ensure 

the engagement with the pilot bit 

to ensure well boring together with 

the casing pipe. 

The technology tested by 

Investgeoservice Group of 

Companies is very relevant today. 

Not every cluster site within 

Kuyumbinskoe oilfield, which is a 

part of Yurubcheno-Tokhomskaya 

zone, features fee access to 

water; sometimes neighboring 

water sources are hard-to-reach. 

Implementation of air-hammer 

drilling with simultaneous casing 

solves several problems: makes it 

possible to stabilize the wellbore 

within the intervals where the rocks 

tend to collapse or to crumble, to 

isolate the wellbore from the action 

of gaseous agents in the process of 

drilling, to ensure correct geometry 

of annular space for mud removal, 

to achieve substantial decrease in 

water consumption in the process of 

well-drilling. 

As for today, Investgeoservice 

Group of Companies has 

successfully completed drilling of 8 

production wells with horizontal end 

sections. All these wells have been 

accepted by the customer. At the 

moment, Investgeoservice Group 

of Companies «Investgeoservice» 

is putting into operation 4 more 

drilling rigs and so there will be 

altogether 5 drilling rigs operated 

by the company in the Yurubcheno- 

Tokhomskaya zone. 

JSC Investgeoservis 

117036, Moscow, The 60th 

Anniversary of October st, 10a, 

tel:+7(499)750-01-13, 

fax: +7(499)750 -01-14, 

email: info@ingeos.ru 

www.ingeos.ru 

Consortium Tyumenheology 

625026, Russian Federation, Tyumen 

region, Tyumen, Respubliki st,142, 

tel/fax: 8(3452)529-558, 

email:consortium@tumgeo.ru 

www.tumgeo.ru 


ADS

DRILLING 

APPLICATION 

FEATURES 

OF INHIBITING 

SOLUTION 

During well drilling to prevent 

occurrence of instability of the 

Kynovian horizon formation 

THE RESULTS OF TESTING OF SALT STARCH BIOPOLYMER DRILLING MUD INHIBITED WITH SULFONATED 

ASPHALT ARE PROVIDED. THE WORKS ARE CARRIED OUT USING CORE SAMPLES TAKEN IN THE 

INTERVAL OF THE FRASNIAN STAGE OF THE DEVONIAN SYSTEMPRESENTS THE RESULTS OF TESTS 

INHIBITED MINERALIZED STARCH-BIOPOLYMER DRILLING MUD, INHIBITED SULFONATED ASPHALT. 

THE WORK CARRIED OUT USING CORE SAMPLES TAKEN IN THE INTERVAL PRONSKOGO LAYER OF THE 

DEVONIAN SYSTEM 

UDC 622.244.442 

KEYWORDS: inhibition, reservoir, drilling mud, clay deposits, caving formation, sulfonated asphalt. 

Tatiana V. Trefilova, 

Senior Lecturer 

Federal State Budgetary 

Educational Institution of 

Higher Education "Udmurt 

State University", 

Oil and Gas Institute named 

after M.S. Gutseriyev 

Stability of clay deposits is one of 

the most urgent problems of drilling, 

especially these days, when the 

volumes of directional and horizontal 

drilling have drastically increased. 

Over the past 20 years, researchers 

have proposed various criteria 

[1, 2, 3], taking into account the 

peculiarities of stress condition of 

rock formations, including lateral 

earth pressure and minimum 

horizontal stress. 

Methodically, such calculations are 

well-thought-out as to date [4]. For 

correct geomechanics calculations, 

bulk data frame is required (for 

example, pressure characteristics 

and fracture vectors during hydraulic 

fracture, profile logging, data of 

electronic micro scanning of walls 

of the well). Study of cores from 

unstable clay masses are important 

for reliability of forecast (including 

for determination of their physical 

and mechanical characteristics). In 

addition to physical and mechanical 

characteristics, clay rocks differ 

in their mineral composition, 

adhesion, pore water salinity; their 

characteristics change depending 

on depth of formation, conditions of 

development etc. 

Clays are subject to surface 

hydration and bulking, dispersion 

in water-base solutions, osmotic 

hydration and dehydration, 

significant reduce of strength at 

hydration, exposure to erosivity of 

solution flow. 

All clay rocks can be divided into 

five classes, each of which is 

characterized by a specific set of 

physical/chemical properties and 

physical/mechanical properties 

[5] that determine requirements to 

drilling fluids. 

Essential condition for stability 

of walls of the well is inhibition 

of drilling mud that allows for 


DRILLING 

stabilization of near-wellbore area 

by slowing down clay hydration and 

attenuation of cleats on bed plane 

of bedded formations, as well as 

by reducing the plastic range and 

saving elastic strain range (stress 

relaxation) in virgin ground. 

To evaluate the required inhibition, 

the methods depending on amount 

of clay rock hydration related to 

osmotic, capillary, diffusion mass 

transfer (moisturizing), as well 

as surface hydration are used. In 

addition to stationary laboratory 

researches (Chenevert method [6], 

rolling test [7], swelling properties of 

clay slates in dynamic conditions), 

express methods are also used, 

for example determination of 

solution moisturizing property [8], 

assessment based on cationic 

(anionic) analysis. 

So, during drilling of lateral holes 

of the Kynovian horizon rocks the 

SSBPDMI (salt starch biopolymer 

drilling mud inhibited with sulfonated 

asphalt) in form of Soltex additive 

was used. Soltex additive is 

received by chemical sulfurization 

of asphalt oil. As a result, a shale 

control inhibitor with controlled 

water solubility is obtained. Finely 

ground oil asphalt treated with 

proper surface-active reagents 

will provide dispersion in water, 

but not solubility. Using Soltex 

additive, large polymeric anions 

are formed. These particles in the 

filtrate bond themselves to the 

electropositive edges of clays. This 

chemical neutralization inhibits the 

natural tendency of friable shales 

to take up water. Thus, sloughing, 

swelling and shale disintegration 

are prevented. In addition, physical 

and chemical inhibition is due 

to the presence in the solution 

composition of: potassium chloride; 

calcium chloride; sodium chloride 

(compound of formation water). 

Inhibited salt starch biopolymer 

drilling mud is a system prepared 

based on formation water 

with low content of solids and 

inhibitors. It is possible to prepare 

it based on traditional salt starch 

biopolymer drilling mud conserved 

after previous drilling interval 

with injection of some inhibiting 

components in its composition. 

Mud composition is provided in 

Table 1. 

TABLE 1. Composition of SSBPDMI 

Component name 

Component content in drilling 

mud, t/m 3 

Biopolimer 0.003 

Starch reagent 0.03 

Defoamant 0.001 

Natural ground chalk 0.04 

Lubricant 0.002 

Biocide 0.001 

Potassium chloride 0.07 

Sulfonated asphalt 0.035 

TABLE 2. SSBPDMI parameters 

Parameter 

Value 

Density, g/cm 3 1.20 

Cake thickness, mm < 0.5 

Apparent viscosity, s 40-60 

Fluid loss indicator, cm 3 /30 min < 4 

Gel strength, pound/100 foot 3 3-9/6-14 

PV, cP 25 

Yield point, pound/100 foot 3 20 

рН 5-7 

Total dissolved solids based on chloride, mg/l 130,000 

Content of Са-ions, mg/l 50,000 

Content of K- ions, mg/l 50,000 

SSBPDMI was used to develop 

unstable deposits of the Tournai 

and Visean stages, it was used also 

during drilling of horizontal wells 

and the Frasnian and Famennian 

stages at well bore inclination angle 

coming through these intervals, of 

not more than 10 gon and rate of 

angle change of not more than 0.05 

gon/10 m. 

This mud system is characterized 

by high stability, ease of preparation 

with use of traditional ejector hopper 

and agitators. 

Mud components are not hazardous 

toxic materials. 

Physical and mechanical control 

of stability of clay deposits is 

provided by mud weight up to 1.20 

g/cm 3 in order to create additional 

hydrostatical pressure produced by 

fluid column to resist pore and axial 

pressure. Increment of drilling mud 

density is achieved by additional 

increase of salinity of formation 

water by CaCl2 and KCl that in 

turn increases the rate of forward 

osmosis. 

Density value is selected based on 

experience in drilling in the territory 

of Udmurtia with similar geological 

conditions. Selected value is 

compatible with safety requirements 

to drilling mud application. 

Table 2 shows the parameters of 

SSBPDMI; these values are to 

be followed during drilling interval 

of 1,431 – 2,060 m. Parameters 

were measured in accordance with 

methods described in API system. 

Laboratory testing of core 

samples 

The results of laboratory testing 

of the mud system under review 

confirmed its good inhibiting ability. 

These tests were carried out using 

core samples taken in the interval of 


DRILLING 

the Frasnian stage of the Devonian 

System. This method is based 

on storage of samples in fluids till 

appearance of visual destruction 

(due to swelling and disintegration) 

of clay structure. The testing results 

of several types of flushing water are 

provided in comparison Table 3. 

FIG. 1. Rock samples from mud testing: 1 – SSBPDMI, 2 – polymerclay mud, 3 – SSBPDM 

Prior to testing: 

TABLE 3. Laboratory testing results 

Time to 

Mud type 

appearance of 

destructions, h 

Fresh water 0.05 

Polymerclay 18 

SSBPDM 100 

SSBPDMI > 150 

Formation water 

р = 1.17 g/cm 3 120 

In the process of well construction, 

the time of impact of drilling mud on 

unstable intervals of log until loss 

of their stability and occurrence 

of caving formation is of no small 

importance. 

Data of laboratory testing shows 

the advantage of the inhibiting 

ability of SSBPDMI over other 

similar fluids under examination 

After testing: 

1 2 3 

that is also confirmed by field data 

received during drilling of row of 

wells at the oilfields of Udmurtia. 

Time to occurrence of caving 

formation using SSBPDMI is 4 days. 

During drilling using polymerclay 

mud, it is 24 hours, using SSBPDM 

– 2 days. This data is summarized in 

Table 4. 

TABLE 4. Time to occurrence of instability 

of the Kynovian horizon formation since 

interval penetration 

Mud type 

Time, hour 

SSBPDMI 98 

Polymerclay 24 

SSBPDM 48 

Conclusions 

Drilling mud treated with 

sulfonated asphalt in form of 

Soltex additive reduces the risk of 

caving formation and breaking of 

unstable formations (argillites) by 

colmatizing micro fractures with 

finely-divided oil-soluble part of the 

reagent. 

In addition, this reagent has the 

following advantages: 

• it minimizes the damaging of 

producing formations; 

• it reacts with shale to stop its 

sloughing and swelling; 

• it significantly increases lubricity; 

either alone or synergistically with 

small amounts of oils or synthetic 

oils; 

• it inhibits the dispersion of drilled 

cuttings; 

• it reduces fluid loss of drilling 

mud, reduces dispersability (size 

degradation) of cuttings particles 

in the process of drilling. 

References 

1. S.B. Svinitskiy. Forecasting of mining and 

geological conditions of drilling wells of salt and 

clay deposits with anomalously high pressure of 

fluids: thesis of Dr. Sci. in Geology and Mineralogy. 

Stavropol, 2007. 

2. V.I. Ibrayev. Forecasting of stress conditions of 

reservoirs and reservoir-seal rocks of oil and gas 

deposits in the Western Siberia. Tyumen: Tyumen 

Printing House OJSC, 2006. 

3. R.D. Kanevskaya. Mathematic simulation of 

development of oil and gas deposits with 

application of hydraulic fracturing. Moscow: Nedra- 

Business Center LLC, 1999. 

4. I.V. Dorovskikh, A.A. Podiyachev, V.A. Pavlov. 

Influence of mechanical characteristics change of 

rocks during mud saturation on the stressed state 

of near-wellbore area // Burenie i Neft. – 2014. – 

No.11. – P. 31 – 38. 

5. V.N. Koshelev. Development and improvement of 

methods for selection and compositions of drilling 

fluids: thesis of Ph.D. in Engineering Science, 1988. 

6. Chenevert V.E. Glycerol mud additive provides 

shale Stability// Oil and Gas J.-II.87. – No.29. – 

P. 60 – 64. 

7. Recommended Practice for Laboratory Testing of 

Drilling Fluids / Note: EIGHTH; ISO 10416:2008 

Adoption; Supersedes API RP 131. – P.73 – 75. 

8. Method of evaluation of inhibiting abilities of 

drilling fluids: AS 1222670 MKI S09К7/00 / A.I. 

Penkov, A.A. Penzhoyan, V.N. Koshelev. – Stated 

15.08.83 Published 07.04.86. – BI No.13 – P. 3. 


SPECIAL SECTION 

Classifier 

INSERT BITS 

1. Drilling 

equipment and 

instruments 

1.1.1.12 Drilling tools 

1.1.1.12.1 Bore bits 

Insert bit is crumble and crumblesliding 

instrument, applied for rock 

breaking. The main operating unit 

is the roller hit features the coneelement, 

made from steel. The 

cutting structure of the roller hit is 

lobes of different length or dowels, 

made from tungsten carbide. 

This cemented carbide is used 

for breaking different geological 

material as soft, as sufficiently hard. 

Insert bit is the system the rotation 

around of its axis is possible due to 

the rotation of the housing. In the 

result of operating the mechanism, 

the breaking of the geological 

material in place with the lobes in a 

contact with them is made. Rolling 

hits have the special design: the 

presence a lot of lobes, placed in a 

special way. They are positioned in 

a way that the geological material 

is broken on the whole girth of the 

place. 

Insert hits have some important 

systems: greasing and cleaning. 

The equipment may be 

manufactured with the side or 

central cleaning system. In the first 

variant, the fluid from the holes 

is directed on the roller hit. At the 

presence the special strips on the 

holes, the system is called water jet 

system. 

The usage of the 

insert hits 

For drilling gas/oil wells the insert 

hits equipped with cone roller hits 

are applied. 

The instrument is widely used for 

drilling the exploration, gas and oil 

wells. The y also applied in mining 

and building. The hits have a lot of 

advantages. They are: 

• Sufficient contact surface with 

the place. 

• Long length of the cutting edge 

that increases the efficiency 

when operating with the 

instruments. 

• Low level of lobes crumbling. 

• Short roll torque, so the danger 

of the insert hit jamming is 

minimum. 


EQUIPMENT 

DETERMINING OF THE RATIONAL 

VALUES FOR BORING BITS 

REINFORCING ELEMENTS 

WORKING ANGLES 

THE ARTICLE GIVES RATIONALE FOR CHOOSING CUTTING ELEMENTS WORKING FRONT AND REAR ANGLES 

WITH CONSIDERATION OF THE EFFECT OF KINEMATIC, TECHNICAL, MINING-ENGINEERING OPERATION 

CONDITIONS OF THE ROCK-DESTRUCTION TOOL USED IN THE PROCESS OF DRILLING WELLS FOR VARIOUS 

APPLICATIONS 

UDC 622.234 

KEYWORDS: the angle of shear, shear with compression, shear and tension, the front angle, rear angle, sharpening angle, the 

trajectory of cut, cutting force, area of bluntness. 

Aleksandr A. Tretyak, 

Candidate of Technical Sciences, 

Senior Professor, Associate 

Professor at the Department 

of Oil and Gas Equipment and 

Technologies, 

Platov South-Russian State 


Yuriy F. Litkevich, 

Candidate of Technical 

Sciences, Associate Professor 

at the Department of Oil and Gas 

Equipment and Technologies, 



Konstantin A. Borisov, 

Assistant at the Department 

of Oil and Gas Equipment and 

Technologies, 



Conventional and modern cuttingtype 

rock-destruction tools (RDT) 

applied in the process of producing 

and exploratory wells drilling are 

reinforced with tungsten-cobalt 

alloys and polycrystalline diamond 

inserts (PCD). Working front and 

rear sharpening angles of hard-alloy 

RDTs are not interrelated due to 

the fact that reinforcing inserts may 

have various shapes and generally 

PCDs are made in form of round 

cylinders. Such inserts sharpening 

angle equals 90°, the front angle 

and rear angle are interrelated. 

Cutting force Fcut and rock shears 

formation depend on the front angle 

value. 

The Figure 1 shows the diagrams 

of shears formation obtained using 

cutting elements with various front 

angles. 

The larger is the front angle 

negativeness the bigger is rock 

resistance to cutting. The specified 

angle value depends on kinematic, 

technical, mining-engineering 

conditions of the cutting procedure. 

Experimental studies show [1], that 

rock resistance to crushing R cr and 

shearing R s are proportional to 

contact resistance P c . 

R cr = 0.24P c ; 

R s = 0.06P c – for cutters with 

positive front angle ; 

R s = 0.07P c – for cutters with zero 

front angle ; 

R s = 0.08P c – for cutters with 

negative front angle . 


ADS

EQUIPMENT 

FIG. 1. а) shear with compression, = 15°; b) shear, = 20°; c) shear and traction, = 25° 

Therefore cutting force shall be 

determined by the equation (2), and 

will increase along with Rs growth 

and shear angle decrease: 

FIG. 2. RDT screw cut trajectory inclination angles (for bits of various diameters) 

(2) 

where: 

mm 2 ; 

– area of bluntness, 

– thickness of the cut rock layer, 

mm; 

– radius of the cutting element 

installation, mm; 

– cut angle, degrees; 

– shear angle, degrees; 

– coefficient of cutting elements 

friction on rock. 

Operational capability of any 

cutting-type RDT shall be 

determined by reliability obtained in 

the process of rocks crushing with 

small radiuses at RDT axis where 

screw cut trajectory inclination 

angles (fig. 2) have the largest 

value and are determined by the 

ratio 

FIG. 3. Diagrams of wear of the drilling tools cutting blade reinforced by TC8 (on the left) and 

PCD (on the right) inserts 

where: – depth of RDT 

penetration per one rotation, mm/ 

rot; 

– radius of the cutting element 

installation, mm. 

Cutting elements touchdown on 

rear edge leads to breakages 

caused by the effect of forces along 

the rear edge. 

Quite often the rear angle value is 

increased in order to reduce growth 

of the hard-alloy tools bluntness 

area. The Figure 3 shows diagrams 

of wear of the drilling tools cutting 

blade reinforced by TC8 (a) and 

PCD (b) inserts. 

Bluntness area growth peculiar 

for PCD inserts occurs only due to 

increase of the cutting edge length 

when the width along diamond layer 

remains constant, where F 1 = F 2 

= F 3 . Since PCD inserts diamond 

layer wear coefficient by 50 or more 

times exceeds tungsten-cobalt 

base material wear coefficient, it 

leads to higher PCD wear along 

the rear edge and to the rear angle 

formation. Thus PCD self-sharpens. 

Therefore, based on the 

calculations made by the equation 

2, it becomes evident that it is 

reasonable to apply smaller values 

of the rear angle for PCD with the 

front angle and the rear angle 

being interrelated constructively. 

This will lead to decrease of the 

cutting angle and decrease of 

the negative front angle , and 

consequently to reduction of the 

cutting force F cut . 


EQUIPMENT 

FIG. 4. Diagram of the mine rock destruction with elementary section of the cutting element in 

the process of drilling 

Computational pattern for 

mathematical description of the 

cutting process with a cutter having 

single width [1], given in the Figure 

4, is proposed based on the analysis 

of the records made in the process 

of drilling and planning with various 

thickness of the cut rock layer and 

shares elements. 

It was established that shear angle 

of any element to the nearest 

exposed surface slightly differs from 

the rock shear angle , and the ratio 

of the chipping contact height to the 

shear line , is a constant 

value and falls within the limits of 

4 – 4.5 as applied to hard rocks. 

It means that inclination angle 

forming large and small waves on 

the downhole undulated surface 

in the process of drilling shall be 

determined using the following 

equation: 

and falls within 

the limits from 12.8° to 14.5°. 

In order to prevent cutting elements 

touchdown on the rear edge in the 

process of propagation through 

the top part at down grade of each 

wave, the rear angle shall be more 

than 14.5°. Let us take = 15°. As 

RDT reinforced with PCD inserts 

have constructively interrelated 

front angle and the rear angle 

(at the sharpening angle = 90°), 

the maximum negativeness at 

the minimum increase of the 

cutting force for new boring bits is 

represented by the front angle 

equal 15°. 

With consideration of the conducted 

investigations, we have been the 

first to propose the boring bits 

reinforced with PCD for drilling of the 

mine rocks of the VI – VIII drillability 

class (RF Patent 2359103), RF 

No. 242613, RF No. 2435927, RF 

FIG. 5. The stabilizing anti-vibration boring bit, profile view 

No. 2577351), and the stabilizing 

anti-vibration boring bit has been 

designed, manufactured and tested. 

The stabilizing anti-vibration boring 

bit (Fig. 5, 6) has a body 1 with с 

connecting thread 2, divided by the 

main water ports 3 into segments 

4, which on the end surface are 

provided with polycrystalline 

diamond inserts 5, differently 

directed at the angle of -15° to the 

direction of cutting. 

The main water ports 3 and auxiliary 

water ports 6 are designed in 

counter-current direction angle-wise. 

The main 3 and auxiliary 6 water 

ports are provided along the whole 

body 1 height in screw line to the 

right in the bit rotation direction. 

Height of the bit body 1 depends 

on the screw line pitch of the main 

3 and auxiliary 6 water ports; inside 

the auxiliary water ports 6 there 

are two or more polycrystalline 

diamond calibration inserts 7, each 

of them represents the element of 

a separate screw line, these inserts 

are attached to the body by means 

of soldering and are designed for the 

well side wall processing. 

When highly-abrasive rocks are 

drilled, the bit is equipped with not 

two but four rows of the calibrators, 

i.e. 12 pieces of PCD 10 mm. 


EQUIPMENT 

FIG. 6. The stabilizing anti-vibration boring bit, top plan view 

element of a separate screw line, 

these inserts are attached to the 

body by means of soldering at the 

negative angle from minus 5° and 

minus 15° to the cutting surface, 

which is distinct by the fact that 

polycrystalline diamond inserts at 

the bit edge are differently-directed 

at the negative angle of 15° towards 

cutting direction. 

As for some other rock-destruction 

tools used for mine rocks drilling, 

other conditions such as kinematic 

ones can be determining for 

the purposes of the front angle 

choosing. In that way for boring bits 

type PSh-140 (РШ-140) or RBK- 

42 (РБК-42) reinforced with PCD 

the front angle may exceed -20° 

due to the possibility of touchdown 

on the rear PCD edge near the 

break at high feed rates. As for 

cutting drilling tools reinforced with 

tungsten-cobalt inserts for mine 

rocks drilling technical conditions 

may be determining ones. 

The suggested bit is operated in the 

following way. Drilling fluid used for 

the purposes of the bit cooling and 

destruction products transportation 

from the flushing pump to the well 

surface, moves through the drilling 

string rotating to the right, and the 

bit body gets to the well downhole. 

Then drilling fluid goes from under 

the bit edge 1 it takes drilling mud 

and transports it along the main 3 

and the auxiliary 6 water ports to the 

surface at the highest turbulence 

level, because the main and the 

auxiliary water ports are located 

counter-current angle-wise to the 

right along the screw line. At the 

same time calibration PCD inserts 7 

are fixed in the auxiliary water port 

6; they are used for the purposes of 

the well walls calibration which helps 

to reduce well deviation. 

The main polycrystalline diamond 

inserts work in cutting mode with 

differently-directed cutting force. All 

of it as a whole provides possibility 

for improving a mud transportation 

out of the well downhole, vibration 

reduction, reduction of a number of 

shears and breakages; this helps to 

ensure smooth trajectory of drilling 

resulting in drilling mechanical 

velocity increase and a bit operating 

life or meter-per-bit value increase. 

Therefore all the forces applied on 

a bit are differently-directed, i.e. 

they are directed towards the well 

downhole and core, so they prevent 

the bit vibration. 

To summarize, we have proposed 

anti-vibration boring bit consisting 

of body with с connecting thread, 

divided by the main water ports into 

segments, which on the side surface 

are provided with polycrystalline 

diamond inserts, which have 

negative front angles in plan to the 

side internal and external cutting 

surfaces and negative front angles 

to the end surface of the well 

downhole; the main water ports 

are designed in counter-current 

direction angle-wise, moreover the 

bit body segments have countercurrent 

angle-wise auxiliary water 

ports provided along the whole bit 

body height in screw line to the right 

in the bit rotation direction; the bit 

body height depends on the screw 

line pitch of the main and auxiliary 

water ports; inside the auxiliary 

water ports there are two or more 

polycrystalline diamond calibration 

inserts, each of them represents the 

Conclusions: 

1. For the first time the rationale 

for operating front and rear angles 

choosing was given based on the 

experimental data for drilling of 

producing and exploratory wells 

using cutting type drilling tools 

reinforced with PCD. 

2. The determining factors for 

choosing of operating front and rear 

angles of RDT reinforced with PCD 

are reduction of cutting force and 

reduction of bluntness area, as well 

as prevention of cutting elements 

touchdown on the rear edge. 

References 

1. M.G. Krapivin, I. Ya. Rakov, N.I. Sysoev. Mining 

tools. – 3rd edition, reviewed and amended. – 

Мoscow: Publishing House ‘Nedra’, 1990 – 256 

pages. 

2. А.А. Tretyak, Yu.F. Litkevich, К.А. Borisov. 

Determining of drilling velocity and operation 

time of the new generation bits reinforced with 

polycrystalline diamond inserts. Neftegaz, 2016, 

No. 10, pages 29 – 33. 

3. Yu.F. Litkevich, А.Е. Aseeva, А.А. Tretyak. 

Development of the methods for calculation 

of operation time of rock-destruction tool 

with polycrystalline diamond reinforcement. 

Construction of oil and gas wells by land and by 

sea. – 2010. – No. 12. – pages 2 – 5. 

4. А.А. Tretyak. Development of the process 

regulation for running of the bits reinforced 

with polycrystalline diamond inserts. Mining 

information-analytical bulletin. – 2011. – No. 12. – 

pages 228 – 232. 


EQUIPMENT 

CEMENTING OF 

CASING STRINGS 

new technologies and effective solutions 

of “ART-Osnastka” company 

ELABORATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF EFFECTIVE INNOVATIONS IS A NECESSARY CONDITION 

OF SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT OF WORLD AND DOMESTIC TECHNOLOGIES OF OIL AND GAS 

WELLS DRILLING, INCLUDING ON THE FIELDS WITH THE MOST COMPLEX GEOLOGY-TECHNICAL 

CONDITIONS. WHICH INNOVATIVE AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THIS SPHERE ARE OFFERED BY 

RUSSIAN DEVELOPERS? 

ADS 

KEYWORDS: cementing of casing strings, the casing of oil and gas wells, casing packers, cement bridges, 

the project «BITART». 

Ilnar Asfandiyarov 

CEO 

"ART-Osnastka" JSC 

For rampant and continuous 

development of world and 

domestic technologies of oil and 

gas wells drilling, development 

and implementation of effective 

innovations are essential. Being 

Russian independent developer 

and equipment manufacturer for 

cementing of casing strings, JSC 

“ART-Osnastka” understands it 

well and always acts within the 

framework of worldwide trends. 

Incremental and continuous 

extension of the scientific and 

technical base, development of 

new technologies and technical 

facilities allow the company to 

provide innovative and effective 

solutions of set tasks to the 

clients in a timely manner. In the 

course of more than twelve years, 

the technologies of JSC “ART- 

Osnastka” have been trusted by 

the largest oil and gas and oilfield 

service enterprises of Russia 

and the CIS countries, who use 

the products of the company 

steadily, including at construction 

of wells on the fields with the most 

complex geology-technical drilling 

conditions. 

Today, the enterprise possesses a 

trustworthy scientific and technical 

base and has a large product line, 

designated for solving of various 

tasks for casing of oil and gas 

wells: 

• equipment for stage and collar 

cementing (SCC, mechanical and 

hydraulic; packers of two-stage 

and collar cementing); 

• casing packers (hydromechanical 

and hydraulic); 

• equipment for installation of 

cement bridges (support devices 

and packer plugs); 

• casing centralizers and 

accessories to them (spring, rigid, 

half-rigid, polymer, roller, stop 

collars); 

• cementing baskets; 

• equipment for carrying out of 

cementing through the stinger. 

Numerous technical facilities, 

developed by “ART-Osnastka”, are 

unrivalled in terms of design and 

technical characteristics on the 

territory of the Russian Federation. 

For example, launched by the 

specialists of the company in 

serial production casing hydraulic 

packer, type 1010, with an armored 

packing element and a unique 


EQUIPMENT 

two-valve packer activation and 

deactivation system. 

One more example is development 

and testing of the technical facilities 

set, designated for quality increase 

of the installed cement bridges and 

reduction of costs at carrying out of 

these works: 

• support device for installation of 

cement bridges, type 1210; 

• packer-plug for installation of 

cement bridges, type 1250. 

A differential peculiarity of the 

developed technical facilities is that, 

in applying them, high-technology 

construction of the bridge is 

possible to be carried per one 

round-trip, without the necessity to 

carry out additional round-trips with 

the aim of delivery of the device to 

the place of its installation and its 

activation. 

The technical facilities set, 

designated for carrying out of 

cementing of the casing strings 

though the stinger, has been 

created. At present, this cementing 

method grows in popularity in 

Russia. The use of this technology 

allows to increase the quality of 

cementing of the casing strings of 

big diameter (from 324 mm and 

more) by means of pumping of 

the cement solution in the annular 

space through the stinger (pipe 

string of small diameter, in most 

cases – a drill string), connected 

directly to the back valve or the 

pad device through a special 

connector. In case of such method 

of cementing, the cementing slurry 

is forced through by the cement 

plug, which is a part of the supply 

package, through the stinger 

directly in the annular space. So, 

the possibility of formation of a 

considerable mixing zone of the 

cementing slurry and the technical 

fluids is excluded, which usually 

takes place during their movement 

in the casing string of big standard 

size. 

The project “BITART”, which is 

joint work of “ART-Osnastka”, 

JSC and the largest Russian 

developer and manufacturer of the 

tool for drilling and well-workover 

operation LLC SPE “BURINTEKH”, 

has been successfully developed. 

The project “BITART” has been 

conceived with the aim of joint 

development and market launch of 

the modern tooling for cementing 

of casing strings, which is not 

inferior to foreign analogues in 

terms of quality and provided 

functional capabilities. Having 

started to exist in 2014 with 

mastering of serial production of 

three product names, today more 

than twenty types of different 

equipment in several dozens of 

possible for order modifications 

are made under the guidance the 

project “BITART”: 

• string shoes (with one or two 

back valves, plastic or aluminium 

float plug, eccentric, rotating and 

reaming); 

• collars with a back valve (with 

one or two back valves, an 

autofilling function and fixation 

from rotation); 

• upper and lower cement plugs 

(with fixation from rotation and 

without fixation). 

The whole developed tooling is 

completely adapted to drilling 

over with PDC boring cutters, 

which have gained practically 

universal application in the whole 

world. During the development 

process this aspect is paid great 

attention to. The specialists of both 

companies have jointly carried out 

a lot of testbed and field tests on 

drilling over of the stringup and 

selection of optimum drilling over 

modes. 

A comprehensive range of made 

within the framework of the project 

“BITART” products, their high 

quality, functional capabilities 

and short terms of production 

and supply have made this brand 

popular and high-demand at the 

oilfield service market. Today, more 

than 8.5 thousand units of products 

have been produced within the 

framework of the project “BITART”, 

which have found their use during 

construction of a large number 

of different wells practically in all 

corners of our country. 

In conclusion it should be noted 

that the 17th international exhibition 

“Neftegas-2017” will be held at 

the Central Exhibition Complex 

‘Expocentre” in Moscow in the 

period from the April, 17 to April, 

20, 2017. “ART-Osnastka”, JSC 

will again be present at the 

exhibition as the participant and 

will present its own exposition. 

The latest scientific and technical 

achievements of “ART-Osnastka” 

will be demonstrated on stand 

№1F40 in the first hall of the 

exhibition complex. The participants 

of the exhibition will manage 

to familiarize themselves with 

presented exhibit items and to 

ensure that the offered equipment 

and technologies are really modern 

and possess the stated technical 

characteristics. 


EQUIPMENT 

SUMMIT INTERNATIONAL: 

Solar Powered Chemical Injection Systems 

Used for both Onshore and 

Offshore Production, companies 

are always looking for long-term, 

cost-effective ways to increase 

production, enhance efficiency while 

protecting the environment. One 

way to capitalize benefits is through 

the addition of Chemical Injection 

Technology to production wells. 

The Summit Master Solar Powered 

Chemical Injection System “CIS” 

integrates software and hardware 

equipment designed to inhibit 

deposits, corrosion and even 

excessive H2S or other toxins, 

assuring improvement of the quality 

of the oil and gas before transport. 

The required equipment often 

varies depending on application, 

environment, and usage. The CIS 

is equipped with a Summit Master 

Controller, Instrumentation, Solar 

powered pump, Solar panels and 

Batteries for Autonomous Solar 

Pump use. Alternatively the CIS can 

be equipped with either a Pneumatic 

Pulse Controlled Pump or with an 

Electrical pump. 

Several components make up such 

a system. The CIS is a completely 

assembled, fully enclosed, skid 

mounted unit, especially designed 

for use in both desert and arctic 

environments. 

The heart of the system is the 

Summit Master Controller “SMC- 

9000” Digital MODBUS/Wireless/RS 

485 SCADA Communication PLC., 

controlling modes: 

• Injection Rate Calibrated Set Point 

• Monitors Pump Strokes 

• Low and High Voltage Alarms 

• Level Monitor 

• Pressure Monitor 

• High Temperature Limit 

• Initiate Pump Shut Off 

Applied chemicals include Wax 

and Corrosion Inhibitors, Scale 

Inhibitors, Demulsifier, Dilutants, 

Biocides, Methanol, Hydrates and 

water treatment chemicals. 

The performance of the CIS 

can be monitored with data 

being transmitted wirelessly to a 

system outfitted with diagnostic 

software which can document, 

analyze, and report on the data. 

That data is transferred to the 

users software providing many 

benefits, including controlling 

cost issues associated with 

over-injection of chemicals and 

ensuring pipeline integrity and 

crude quality, all while promoting 

Key benefits of the CIS: 

a more environmentally friendly 

work environment. 

When properly utilized, CIS also 

provide other benefits. It will 

help minimize internal corrosion 

in production tubing caused by 

hydrogen sulfide and carbon 

dioxide. Additionally, CIS can 

inject the chemicals which remove 

deposits of wax, salt, and other 

minerals that can build up and 

decrease production efficiency. 

Finally, all of these benefits stack, 

meaning increased production times 

between invasive well interventions. 

These benefits and more make 

the Summit Master Solar Powered 

Chemical Injection Systems a solid 

investment. 

• Chemical injection packages are rigorously field-tested to ensure 

optimum performance 

• Completely assembled, transportable to the production well 

eliminating time consuming start-up cost 

• Solar Pumping systems provides reliable chemical injection for up to 

three days without sun 

• Summit’s SMC- 9000 controller ensures precise injection rates – 

optimizing your process 

• Control and monitor your chemical injection system remotely for 

peace of mind 

• Pump components are designed for up to two years of operation 

between service intervals 

• Ideal for remote installations in extreme temperatures 

• Save money by reducing chemical waste when you use our 

adaptive injection rate controls 

• Fully spill protective to the environment through its 515 gallon onepiece 

fault 

• Lower energy costs by using off-the-grid solar powered systems vs. 

pneumatic or grid powered pumps 

• Reduces costly routine maintenance and inspection checks 

ADS 



LOGISTICS IN THE 

FUEL AND ENERGY 

COMPLEX 

LOGISTICAL SUPPORT IS A KEY FACTOR AS FAR AS IMPLEMENTATION OF AMBITIOUS PROJECTS GOES, AND IS 

OFTEN FRAUGHT WITH ALL TYPES OF RISKS. WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS HELPING GAZPROMNEFT-SNABZHENIE 

TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENT, TIMELY AND SYSTEMATIC SUPPLY AND LOGISTICS OPERATIONS FOR PROJECTS 

OF WHATEVER SCOPE? 

ADS 

KEYWORDS: logistics, cargo transportation, supply, customs clearance, deliveries. 

Aleksandr 

Aleksandrovich 

Svistunov, 

Deputy General Director for 

Commerce of the 

Gazpromneft-Snabzhenie, LLC 

56 ~ Neftegaz.RU [3] 

The Gazpromneft-Snabzhenie, LLC 

was established in 2011 on the 

basis of the logistics infrastructure 

of the Gazprom Neft Group. 

During this time, significant results 

have been achieved: major and 

important projects have been 

implemented both in Russia and 

abroad, the geography of presence 

and the range of services have been 

expanded, which are as follows: 

• Cargo transportation by water, air, 

road, and rail transport; 

• International cargo transportation; 

• Project logistics; 

• Warehouse logistics; 

• Conceptual design and logistical 

modeling; 

• Development of special-purpose 

logistical schemes; 

• Procurement, supply, and traffic 

management of material and 

technical resources; 

• Customs clearance and 

consulting, temporary storage 

warehouse services; 

• Construction and maintenance of 

winter roads; 

• Transportation to not easily 

accessible regions of the Far 

North. 

Today, Gazpromneft-Snabzhenie 

is the largest logistics operator, 

which goal is the comprehensive 

and systemic logistics support 

for enterprises of the fuel and 

energy complex and heavy 

industries. According to a survey 

conducted among representatives 

of companies of the Russian fuel 

and energy complex during a series 

of events "Moscow Oil and Gas 

Conferences" in 2016, Gazpromneft- 

Snabzhenie has become a winner 

in the nomination "Best company 

of the year within the group of 

‘Logistics Services’". 

Logistic support along with 

investment and design issues 

is an important factor in the 

implementation of large projects, 

which are often accompanied by 

risks of different levels. The list of 

areas of increased attention on 

the part of the integrated logistics 

operator should include consistency 

of actions among the participants 

of the processes; peculiarities of 

weather conditions; availability of 

proven subcontractors; customs 

clearance issues; availability of 

necessary special-purpose motor 

vehicles at each stage; wellorganized 

targeted logistics scheme; 

short deadlines for preparation, 

implementation, and support of the 

project; procedures for coordinating 

organizational matters in the 

government institutions; timely 

preparation of cargo storage and 

consolidation sites; formation of 

loading plans, accounting and 

optimization of cargo dimensions; 

maintaining a planned budget level 

or optimizing costs.


Among the possible reasons that 

reduce the efficiency of procurement 

of logistics services by customers, 

there are: erroneous estimate of 

time costs in the preparation of 

plans for materiel and technical 

support; peculiarities of internal 

orders and standards of companies 

and corporations; distribution of 

responsibilities between services 

or subdivisions; deviation from the 

established terms by production 

units or manufacturers (equipment 

suppliers); formation of tender 

documentation without taking into 

consideration logistical planning 

and detailing of weight-dimension 

parameters; insufficient study of 

budgeting issues; unhandled system 

for warning of incidents. All this is 

subsequently accompanied by risks 

for the interacting parties. When 

we talk about the Customer, we 

can speak about the rapid growth 

of costs, poor project performance, 

technical mistakes, loss of the 

relevance of the project, investment 

losses, etc. When we talk about 

the Contractor, these factors not 

only affect the reputation and 

the reduction of potential profits, 

but also lead to penal sanctions, 

blacklisting, the Customer's refusal 

from the project, the increase in 

terms, etc. 

Considering the above-mentioned, 

Gazpromneft-Snabzhenie sees 

the role of the system operator of 

integrated logistics not only in the 

development of logistics projects in 

the active phase of implementation, 

but also in discussing the tasks of 

A comprehensive and timely approach to solving 

logistics problems leads to a systematic and 

sustainable reduction in potential costs within the 

framework of the ongoing project 

material and technical support and 

logistics in the initial (conceptual) 

phase of development. This path 

leads to the creation of the most 

accurate and well-considered 

logistics concept. 

Within the list of proven tools of 

the given approach, which are 

successfully used by Gazpromneft- 

Snabzhenie, it is possible to single 

out the following: 

• Development of integrated 

methods for managing the 

movement of material and 

technical resources; 

• Forecasting directions of cargo 

transportation, volumes of 

supplies and physical distribution 

of material and technical 

resources within the project 

facilities; 

• Conceptual design and simulation 

modeling – structural analysis 

as the basis for object-oriented 

design; 

• Building an incident management 

process – determining the 

conditions for conflict relations 

between project participants 

(for instance, between building 

contractors and equipment 

manufacturers); 

Speaking about the applied 

methodology, it is especially 

necessary to note the fact that an 

integrated and timely approach to 

solving logistics problems leads 

to a systematic and sustainable 

reduction of potential costs within 

the framework of the implemented 

project. 

Among the projects implemented by 

Gazpromneft-Snabzhenie, where 

a lot of attention has been paid 

to some of the above-mentioned 

factors, some of them are worth 

noting. 

The first example is the 

transportation of equipment to 

Gazpromneft-ONPZ as part of 

the implementation of tasks of the 

Logistic Block, Refining and Sales 

of Gazprom Neft for the construction 

of a complex for deep oil refining. 

For the successful multimodal 

transportation of cargo shipments 

containing parts of reactors, highpressure 

separators, and air cooling 

units to the cities of Europe, St. 

Petersburg, and Volgograd, the 

contract logistics department of 

Gazpromneft-Snabzhenie has 

carried out an analysis of possible 

routes and developed a targeted 

logistics scheme. In addition, in 

order to optimize costs, it has been 

carried out work to assess and 

reduce the dimensionality of cargo 

owing to visits to the shipping sites 

and work with manufacturers, as 



well as three available storage 

sites in Omsk, including a warm 

warehouse for the given equipment, 

have been engaged. An important 

stage was the consolidation of sets 

of air cooling units at the temporary 

customs control zone – their 

customs clearance with a zero duty 

rate (without class. decisions) has 

been carried out, which positively 

affected the final project budget and 

the timing of its implementation; 

Another important project is 

the transportation of eight sets 

of the gas-compressor plant 

GPA-32 "Ladoga" for the strategic 

asset of Gazprom Neft – the 

Novoportovskoye oilfield – in 

2014 – 2016. Among the special 

tasks is the assessment of the 

directions of cargo flows, the 

organization of consolidation and 

the transportation of cargoes 

strictly by a certain date from 

different points of Russia and Italy, 

as well as the transportation of 

equipment in conditions of cold 

climate in accordance with special 

requirements, including winter roads. 

On each segment of the route the 

optimal mode of transport has been 

selected, including a special heated 

transport, as well as a sea vessel 

for the transportation of equipment 

located in Italy. The work has been 

carried out to finalize the packaging, 

manufacturers have been provided 

with recommendations; the minimum 

possible degree of size overage 

has been agreed with the Russian 

Railways. 

One of the unique and complex 

projects accomplished by 

Gazpromneft-Snabzhenie is 

also a delivery of the gas-turbine 

installation kits to the Vankor cluster 

of oilfields (Krasnoyarsk Krai), 

within the framework of which, it has 

been carried out the transportation 

along the Northern Sea Route. 

Within a short period of time and in 

conditions of shortage of necessary 

vessels, an icebreaker has been 

engaged, later accompanying the 

cargo ship on difficult sections of 

the route. The project needed to be 

carried out in extremely short terms, 

due to hydrological conditions on 

some sections of the waterway. 

The qualitative and successful 

completion of the logistics 

project is the result of the close 

interaction of all participants 

within the process, leading to 

the accumulation of invaluable 

experience. It is this kind of 

experience that will allow us 

in the future to carry out the 

supplies and logistics operations 

within a project of any scale in a 

systemic, timely, and consistent 

manner. 

Contacts for communication: 

+7 (812) 448-00-51, ext. 4023 

E-mail: market-gpns@gazprom-neft.ru 

Website: http://supply.gazprom-neft.ru/ 



Classifier 

DRILLING 

RIG 

2. Maintenance, service and 

technologies in oil, gas and 

condensate fields 

2.1 Oil & gas extraction 

2.1.1 Geological exploration 

Drilling rigs of FDR (Floating Drilling Rig) series are 

the basic and the most popular installations applied 

for prospecting on building materials and gold. 

Mechanical transmission, telescopic mast, 

elementary hydraulic circuit makes FDR is the ideal 

machine for performing the designated mission. 

Drilling rigs of FDR series feature the wide options for 

the realization all basic drilling technologies. 

Drilling rigs of FDR series are produced from 1991 

and proved themselves as reliable, low-maintenance, 

effective and easy to operate machine. 

Applied drilling technologies: 

• standard drilling with the diameter up to 168 mm. 

• dry core drilling with the diameters 108…146 mm. 

• full-hole auger drilling with the diameter up to 

230 mm. 

• regular auger drilling with the diameter up to 

850 mm. 

Positive capabilities of FDR-2: 

• As the gear a wide range of wheeled and track 

machines can be used: ZIL-131, URAL, KAMAZ 

(as well as double cabin), MAZ, transport track 

machine ТGM-126, MTLBu, tractors ТТ-4. 

• High torque allows building up wells with the 

diameter up to 850 mm and the depth up to 20 m. 

• The availability of the deck diesel decreases the 

load and increases the gear engine life. 

• The most simple mechanical and hydraulic circuits 

allows the diagnosis and troubleshooting in the 

minimum terms. 

• The installations of such type are applied in the 

prospecting on the building materials more than 20 

years. 

• High mass of the drilling rig imparts stability in 

drilling and moving. 

SPECIFICATIONS 

PRODUCT ITEM FDR-2 SERIES 300 

FEEDING STROKE, MM 1 800 / 3 500* 

FEEDING LOAD, KGF 

UP 3 500 – 10 000* 

DOWN 3 500 – 10 000* 

SPLINDLE ROTATION FREQUENCY, 

R/MIN 

25 - 430 

ROLL TORQUE, KGM 500 

MAXIMUM HOISTING CAPACITY, KGF 2 600 

NOMINAL DRILLING DEPTH BY, M: 

SCREW CONVEYORS 60 

AUGER STEEL 25 

AUGER STEEL, SLIDE OVER THE 

RODS 

16 

WITH BLOWING 100 

WITH CLEANING 100 – 120 

CABLE-TOOL 168 

DRILLING DIAMETER BY, MAX, ММ: 

SCREW CONVEYORS 400 

AUGER STEEL 850 

WITH CLEANING 215.9 

WITH BLOWING 250 

CABLE-TOOL 168 


PRODUCTION 

INCREASE IN OIL RECOVERY 

IN CARBONATE RESERVOIRS 

Lyubov K. Altunina, 

Prof. Dr.-Ing., honored scientist of 

the Russian Federation 

Director of the Federal State 

Budgetary Research Institution 

Institute of Petroleum Chemistry 

of the Siberian Branch of the 

Russian Academy of Sciences 

(IPC SB RAS), head of Laboratory 

of Colloidal Petroleum Chemistry 

of IPC SB RAS 

INFORMATION ABOUT NEW PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGIES 

WITH APPLICATION OF THERMOTROPIC NANOSTRUCTURED GEL- 

FORMING COMPOSITIONS FOR LIMITING WATER INFLOW, INCREASING OIL 

RECOVERY AND INTENSIFYING OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEPOSITS OF 

HIGH-VISCOSITY OIL GRADES WITH CARBONATE RESERVOIRS, AS WELL 

AS “COLD” TECHNOLOGIES THAT USE OIL-DISPLACING COMPOUNDS 

WITH CONTROLLED VISCOSITY AND ALKALINITY HAVING A LOW 

FREEZING POINT IS PROVIDED. RESULTS OF PILOT AND INDUSTRIAL 

TESTS OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES AT THE PERMIAN-CARBONIFEROUS 

DEPOSIT OF HIGH-VISCOSITY OIL OF THE USINSKOYE FIELD UNDER THE 

NATURAL DEVELOPMENT REGIME, FLOODING, STEAM CYCLING AND IN 

THE AREA OF STEAM INJECTION IN 2014-2016 ARE PRESENTED. THE 

TECHNOLOGIES PROVED THEIR HIGH EFFICIENCY, WHICH MANIFESTED 

IN REDUCED WATER CUT, INCREASED OIL PRODUCTION RATES, 

AND INTENSIFIED DEVELOPMENT. THEY WERE RECOMMENDED FOR 

INDUSTRIAL USE. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGIES WERE 

DEVELOPED FOR INCREASING OIL RECOVERY AND LIMITING WATER 

INFLOW ARE PROMISING FOR APPLICATION AT DEPOSITS WITH 

COMPLICATIONS IN RECOVERABLE RESERVES DEVELOPED IN EXTREME 

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF NORTHERN REGIONS, INCLUDING DEPOSITS 

WITH CARBONATE RESERVOIRS THAT CONTAINING HEAVY, HIGHLY 

VISCOUS OIL. INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES WILL 

ALLOW PROFITABLE OPERATION OF DEPOSITS, WILL CONTRIBUTE TO 

DEVELOPMENT OF OIL PRODUCTION INDUSTRY IN NORTHERN REGIONS 

UDC 622.276 

Vladimir A. Kuvshinov, 

Cand. Sc. in chemistry 

Leading research assistant of 

the Federal State Budgetary 

Research Institution 

IPC SB RAS 

Ivan V. Kuvshinov, 

Leading programmer of the 

Federal State Budgetary 

Research Institution 

IPC SB RAS 

КЛЮЧЕВЫЕ СЛОВА: трудноизвлекаемые запасы, термотропные 

наноструктурированные гелеобразующие компаунды, ограничение водопритока, 

корбонатные коллекторы, высоковязкие нефти. 

The share of hydrocarbons, 

concentrated in carbonate 

reservoirs, plays an increasingly 

important role in the global balance 

of energy – most new fields 

belong to this category. Carbonate 

reservoirs are present in the fields of 

the Persian Gulf basin, oil and gas 

basins of the USA and Canada, in 

the the Caspian basin. They contain 

42% of oil reserves and 23% of gas 

reserves [1 – 3]. 

Recent decades of development 

of oil industry in Russia have been 

characterized with deterioration 

in the structure of oil reserves. 

Particular attention has increasingly 

been paid to the problem of 

development of oil deposits in 

carbonate reservoirs that contain 

increased viscosity and high 

viscosity oil. As of today, oil reserves 

associated with carbonate reservoirs 

with viscous and highly viscous 

oil in them comprise over 30% of 

all reserves explored in the world. 

In Russia, oil reserves in such 

reservoirs comprise over 50%, in 

Udmurtia, it is 70% [3]. 

About 40% of residual reserves of 

GPN, which is almost 600 million 

tons of hydrocarbons, are contained 

in carbonate reservoirs [1]. The 

major assets with such deposits are 

the Eastern section of the Orenburg 

field, the Kuyumbinskoe field and 

the Chonskoye field in the Eastern 

Siberia, the Badra project in Iraq, 

the Prirazlomnoye field on the 

Caspian shelf. The current ways and 

methods of development of fields 

with carbonate reservoirs based on 


PRODUCTION 

flooding do not allow achieving the 

final oil recovery factor (ORF) higher 

than 0.25 to 0.27 [3]. 

Inevitably progressing needs of the 

world economy in hydrocarbons will 

be met mainly through development 

of new oil producing regions, 

primarily in the polar regions of 

the planet, as well as development 

of deposits with hard-to-recover 

reserves, including heavy, highviscosity 

grades of oil and bitumen, 

reserves of which in the world are 

approximately 5 times more than 

the volume of residual recoverable 

reserves of light oil grades of low 

and medium viscosity. In the nearest 

decades, the Arctic region of Russia 

will be the major reserve of oil 

and gas producing industry of the 

country. 

Creation and wide-scale application 

of scientifically grounded oil 

production technologies is adapted 

to the conditions of the North, 

development of new chemical 

reagents for implementation of 

technologies is required for efficient 

development of oil field with 

carbonate reservoirs in northern 

regions [4 – 6]. Multi-year experience 

of the Institute of Petroleum 

Chemistry of the SB RAS (IPC SB 

RAS) in the field of development of 

physical and chemical technologies 

to increase oil recovery may be 

applied for resolving of these tasks, 

in particular, for the Permian- 

Carboniferous deposit of highviscosity 

oil from the Usinskoye 

field in the Republic of Komi. IPC 

SB RAS has developed 11 new 

industrial technologies of increasing 

oil recovery and limiting water inflow 

into fields with complications with 

recovery of reserves, including 

fields with carbonate reservoirs that 

contain heavy, highly viscous grades 

of oil [6 – 13]. The technologies 

are used in the industrial scale by 

oil companies, such as LUKOIL, 

ROSNEFT, etc. Industrial production 

of a number of compounds is 

arranged. They contain chemical 

multitonnage products with the 

preference for inexpensive domestic 

reagents. A promising concept 

of using the reservoir energy or 

the energy of injected coolant to 

generate the following chemical 

“intelligent” nanoscale systems 

directly in the reservoir has been 

created: gels, limes, solutions of 

surfactants and buffer systems with 

controlled alkalinity, which preserve 

the complex of colloidal chemical 

properties that are optimal for oil 

displacement. 

Gel Technologies 

for Increasing of Oil 

Recovery and Limiting of 

Water Inflow 

At the late stage of field 

development, the dominant role 

belongs to gel technologies, 

which increase the coverage of 

the reservoir with flooding, which 

reduces the water cut and increases 

oil production. The IPC SB RAS 

has developed thermotropic gelforming 

systems, which are 

low-viscosity aqueous solutions 

in surface conditions and are 

converted into gels in reservoirs. 

Gelling occurs under the influence 

of thermal energy of the reservoir 

or the injected coolant, without 

cross-linking agents [8 – 13]. 

Gelling kinetics, rheological and 

filtration characteristics of gels of 

various types for inhomogeneous 

reservoirs with permeability in the 

interval of 0.01 to 10 μm 2 have been 

studied. The following thermotropic 

gel-forming compounds have 

been proposed: non-organic, on 

the bases of the “aluminium – 

carbamide – water”, and polymeric, 

based on cellulose ethers with 

different gel-forming time (from 

several minutes to several days) 

within the temperature range from 

30 to 320°С. They were used for 

development of five gel technologies 

to increase oil recovery of highly 

heterogeneous reservoirs, which 

are used in the industrial scale 

in the fields of Western Siberia 

and the Komi Republic [8 – 13]. 

Environmental safety of reagents, 

their harmlessness to humans allow 

wide usage of gel technologies 

in the fields of Russia and other 

countries. 

Production tests were conducted 

and industrial use of complex 

technologies of physical, chemical, 

steam, and thermal effects on the 

Permian-Carboniferous deposit of 

high-viscosity oil grades from the 

Usinskoye field is performed. Thus, 

over 170 wells were treated with the 

technologies of the IPC SB RAS in 

2010 to 2014. The increase in oil 

production rate was from 3 to 24 

tons per day per well, additional 

oil production comprised 980 tons 

per each well treated. Geophysical 

studies before and after injection 

of the gel-forming composition 

demonstrated that redistribution of 

filtration flows and increase in the 

reservoir coverage by the steam and 

thermal action occurs. Results of 

the works performed demonstrate 

synergy of methods of physical, 

chemical, steam, and thermal effects 

on the reservoir, prospects of their 


PRODUCTION 

FIGURE 1. Results of PIW for Limitation of Water Inflow with Application of the METKA ® Compound at the Permian-Carboniferous Deposit 

of the Usinskoye Field: (а) – summary of 5 production wells, increase in oil production rates and reduction in water cut; (b) – growth of the 

average monthly production rate for the entire period of monitoring (16 months) of wells after treatment with the METKA ® compound 

integrated application for increasing 

oil recovery of highly viscous oil 

deposits [9 – 11]. 

In 2014 to 2016, pilot and production 

tests of new technologies of 

limitation of water inflow with 

application of the METKA ® , PSB, 

and MEGA thermotropic gel-forming 

compositions were performed on the 

Permian-Carboniferous deposit of 

high-viscosity oil from the Usinskoe 

field. 

Processing of Production Wells 

for area Injection of Steam Using 

the METKA ® Thermo-Reversible 

Gel-Forming 

The IPC SB RAS has developed 

the method of limitation of water 

inflow and increasing of oil 

recovery of highly heterogeneous 

reservoirs by regulating filtration 

flows, increasing of coverage of the 

reservoir by flooding or steam and 

thermal action with METKA ® thermoreversible 

polymer gels, which are 

formed of solutions of polymers 

with the lower critical dissolution 

temperatures [11 – 15]. The factor 

that causes gelling is the thermal 

reservoir energy or the energy of 

the injected coolant. The process 

of transformation of a low-viscosity 

solution into a gel with increasing 

of temperature is a reversible 

phase transition. Gels are stabel at 

temperatures of up to 220°С and 

may be used as effective means of 

limiting water inflow, redistribution 

of filtration flows, prevention of gas 

breakthrough, and elimination of 

gas cones. The METKA ® compound 

may be pumped into injection, 

steam injection, steam cycling, and 

production wells. It must be noted 

that METKA ® gels have better 

adhesion to the carbonate reservoir 

and withstand larger pressure drops 

than inorganic aluminum hydroxide 

gels. 

If steam is injected into the area 

in production wells that are 

hydrodynamically coupled to steam 

injection wells, a breakthrough of 

steam or hot water is observed after 

a certain time, while water cut of 

the production is increased and oil 

production rates are decreased. Gel 

is formed directly in the reservoir in 

the course of injection of the gelling 

composition into reactive production 

wells with bottomhole temperature 

from 30 to 220°С. This contributes 

to selective restriction of water 

inflow from heated and washed 

reservoirs, to change in the direction 

of the filtration flows, to decrease 

in water cut, and to restriction 

of breakthroughs of the injected 

working agent. 

In order to increase the efficiency 

of the system of steam-heating 

effects due to selective water inflow 

restriction, the METKA ® compound 

was injected into 5 production 

wells of the Usinskoye field, at 

the steam injection site, in 2014. 

The compound injection volume 

is within the range from 19 to 

95 m 3 per each well. Increase in oil 

production rates and decrease in 

water cut in production is observed 

after injection of the METKA ® 

compound (see Fig. 1). 11,000 tons 

of oil were additionally produced 

as of December, 2015, which is in 

an average 2,100 tons per each 

well treated. Maximum registered 

absolute reduction of water cut is 

39% (from 97% before treatment 

to 58% after treatment). Average 

reduction of water cut in 5 wells is 

24%. The duration of the treatment 

effect is 16 months. See Fig. 1 

(a) for summary schedules of the 

treatment effect in 5 wells – average 

values of monthly oil production 

rates and water cut of the product 

before and after treatment with the 

METKA ® compound. Based on 

the results of pilot and industrial 

works (PIW), the technology of 

selective limitation of water inflow 

into producing wells at the area 

of steam injection with application 

of the METKA ® thermo-reversible 

polymer gel-forming compound is 

recommended for industrial use. 

Successful treatment of 5 more 

production wells with the METKA ® 

compound was performed in 2015. 

Limitation of Water Inflows and 

Breakthroughs with Application 

of the PSB Gel-Forming 

Compound 

The IPC SB RAS has developed 

the technology of limitation of 

breakthrough of water and gas in 

production wells with the PSB gel- 


PRODUCTION 

TABLE 1. Limitation of Water and Gas Breakthroughs in Production Wells of the Permo-Carboniferous deposit of the Usinskoye 

field with application of the PSB gel-forming compounds for 2015, performed by OSK LLC 

Well number 

OPR date 

Liquid 

production 

rate, m 3 /day 

Before treatment 

Oil production 

rate, t/day 

% of water 

Liquid 

production 

rate, m 3 /day 

After treatment 


rate, t/day 

% of water 

2869 05.11.15 37.8 9.94 73.7 45.33 10.94 76.43 

3150 30.11.15 49.4 0.7 98.7 36 9.7 73.1 

1223 02.12.15 32.3 2.4 92.5 17.1 8.5 50.3 

2762 28.10.15 37.3 2.99 91.9 14.1 7 50.33 

8306 30.12.15 53.5 0.3 99.4 46.9 6.3 86.5 

forming compound on the basis of a 

water-soluble polymer, an inorganic 

acid adduct, and a polyhydric 

alcohol that generates gel in a 

reservoir at its ambient temperatures 

[15]. The technology is aimed at 

increasing the efficiency of the wells 

by limiting breakthroughs of gas and 

water and by increasing flow rates 

for oil and liquid. 

The essence of the technology is 

in injection of alternating aqueous 

solutions of the PSB gel-forming 

compounds (solution 1) and 

crosslinker (solution 2) capable 

of forming gels directly in the 

reservoir conditions into production 

wells. Gels formed in reservoirs 

block gas breakthroughs, which 

causes increase in efficiency of 

work of wells and increase in 

oil production. The technology 

is applicable at a wide range 

of temperatures, at oil fields 

with terrigenous and carbonate 

reservoirs, in various geological 

and physical conditions, and at 

various stages of field development, 

in particular, in conditions of the 

Permo-Carboniferous deposits 

of high-viscosity oil grades from 

the Usinskoye field. Watersoluble 

polymer with the upper 

critical dissolution temperature, 

films of which have the lowest 

gas permeability out of industrial 

polymers are used in PSB 

compounds. 

First industrial tests of the 

compound were performed in late 

2015 by OSK LLC in LUKOIL- 

Usinskneftegas TPP of LUKOIL- 

Komi LLC at 5 production wells of 

the Permo-Carboniferous deposit 

of the Usinskoye field. 60 to 96 m 3 

of the PSB compound was injected 

into each well (48 m 3 of the polymer 

solution with structure-forming agent 

and 12 to 48 m 3 of the cross-linker). 

Treatment dates, numbers of wells, 

and parameters of their operation 

according to measurements of 

OSK LLC are set forth in Table 1. 

On an average, reduced water 

cut, reduced liquid production and 

increased oil production is marked 

in the wells treated with the PSB. 

Limitation of Water Inflow 

with Application of the MEGA 

Thermotropic Nanostructured 

Compound with Two Gel-Forming 

Components 

The MEGA compound was 

developed by the IPC SB RAS to 

limit water inflow and increase oil 

recovery in flooding, steam and 

steam cycling, improve structural 

and mechanical properties of gels 

FIGURE 2. Results of PIW for Limitation of Water Inflow with Application of the PSB Compound at the Permian-Carboniferous Deposit of the 

Usinskoye Field: (а) – summary of 5 production wells, increase in oil production rates and reduction in water cut; (b) – growth of the average 

monthly production rate for the entire period of monitoring (14 months) of wells after treatment of certain wells with the PSB compound 


PRODUCTION 

TABLE 2. Restrictions of Water Inflow with Application of the MEGA Gel-Forming Compound at the SCT in the Area of Steam and Heat Effect 

at the Permian-Carboniferous Deposit of the Usinskoye Field 

Item No. Well number Treatment type Treatment date 

Volume of ready-made 

compound, m 3 

1 7054 With SCT 06-07.10.2016 80 

2 8126 With SCT 31.10-01.11.2016 80 

3 6170 In the SHE area 14-16.11.2016 90 

4 6108 In the SHE area 25-27.11.2016 85 

5 4560 In the SHE area 10-12.12.2016 119 

on the basis of the “aluminum salt – 

cellulose ether – carbamide – water” 

system with the following two gelforming 

components: thermotropic 

polymer solutions with the lower 

critical dissolution temperature 

based on cellulose ethers (“cellulose 

ether-carbamide-water”) that 

form gels due to the reversible 

phase transition and thermotropic 

inorganic “aluminum-carbamidewater 

salt” solutions that form gels 

by the hydroxo-polycondensation 

reaction of aluminum ions [16]. 

They form coherently dispersed 

nano-sized structures such as “a 

gel in a gel”. When heated above 

the lower critical temperature of 

dissolving of cellulose ether in 

the system, a polymer gel is first 

formed by phase transition, and 

then an aluminum hydroxide gel is 

formed within the polymer gel by 

the hydrolytic polycondensation 

mechanism initiated by the products 

of carbamide hydrolysis. The result 

is improvement of structural and 

mechanical gel properties and 

multiple increase of its viscosity 

and elasticity. Gels formed in the 

reservoir restrain breakthrough 

of water or steam from injections 

to production wells, redistribute 

filtration flows of reservoir fluids 

in the oil reservoir, which leads to 

stabilization or reduction of water 

cut in production of surrounding 

producing or steam cyclic wells, and 

increase in oil production. 

Combined nanostructured 

gels obtained from the MEGA 

thermotropic composition with 

two gel forming agents, polymer 

and inorganic, as well as cellulose 

ether-based gels, will have better 

adhesion to the carbonate reservoir 

than aluminum hydroxide gels. 

The composition is promising for 

creation of anti-filtration barriers and 

screens in oil reservoirs with the 

aim of increasing oil recovery and 

isolating of water inflows. 

Field of application of the 

technology are reservoirs with 

the temperature of 60 – 220°С, in 

particular, developed or introduced 

into development by flooding or 

steam and heat or steam and cyclic 

effect. The type of collector is 

terrigenous, polymictic or carbonate, 

heterogeneous. The technology is 

used in separate water injection, 

steam injection, steam cycling and 

production wells, in the group of 

producing and injection wells, or is 

carried out in general at the facility 

or field. 

First field tests of the MEGA gelforming 

nanostructured compound 

to limit water inflow and increase oil 

recovery were carried out by OSK 

LLC in late 2016 at the request of 

LUKOIL-Usinskneftegaz of LUKOIL- 

Komi at five production wells of the 

Permian-Carboniferous Deposit of 

the Usinskoye Field: two (No.7054 

and No.8126) – with steam cycling 

processing (SCP) and in three wells 

(No. 6170, 6108 and 4560) – at 

the site of steam and heat impact 

(SHI), in the area of steam injection. 

Treatment dates and volumes of the 

compound are set forth in Table 2. 

The volume of the injected 

compound comprised 80 to 120 

m 3 per each well, see Table 3. As 

of the moment, first production 

data after treatment of three wells 

were received (see Table 4): for 

well No.7054 – with SCT, for 

wells No. 6170 and 6108 – in the 

TABLE 3. Effect of Treatment of Production Wells at the MEGA Gel-Forming Compound at the STC and in the Area of Steam Heating 

Effect at the Permian-Carboniferous Deposit of the Usinskoye Field 

Before treatment 

After treatment 

Well number 

Liquid 

production rate, 

m 3 /day 


rate, t/day 

Wate cut, % 

Liquid 

production rate, 

m 3 /day 


rate, t/day 

Wate cut, % 

7054 42.0 6.1 85.0 74.0 41.1 43.8 

6170 55.9 0.8 98.6 41.6 6.0 85.6 

6108 56.3 2.0 96.4 51.6 11.5 77.8 


PRODUCTION 

steam and heat effect. After well 

treatment, significant reduction 

in water cut is registered, by 

12 – 40%, and significant increase 

in oil production rates in the first 

months after treatment, see Table 3, 

Fig. 3, 4. Treatment effect in well 

No.7054 (Fig. 3a) for only first three 

months comprised ~1,700 tons of 

additionally produced oil. 

Results of the first pilot works of 

application of the MEGA gel-forming 

nanostructured compound with 

the technology to reduce water 

and EOR conducted in late 2016, 

at five production wells of the 

Permian-Carboniferous Deposit 

of the Usinskoye Field with cyclic 

steam treatment and in the area 

of steam injection, confirm the 

ability of the MEGA compound to 

effectively block the flow of water in 

the production well, which leads to a 

significant reduction in water content 

by 12 – 40% and the corresponding 

increase of oil production rates. It 

is planned to continue research in 

this area to expand the scope of the 

technology. 

Increase in oil recovery of 

deposits of high-viscosity oil 

grades without thermal impact, 

with application of acidic oildisplacing 

compound with 

adjustable viscosity 

As a result of studying regularities 

governing colloid-chemical and 

rheological properties of petroleum 

disperse systems under lowtemperature 

physical and chemical 

effects on high-viscosity oil deposits, 

the IPC SB RAS developed new 

“cold” physical and chemical 

methods of increasing of oil 

production increasing. Oil-displacing 

compositions of the new type 

nanostructured acidic and alkaline 

compositions based on surfactants, 

coordinating solvents and complex 

compounds, having adjustable 

viscosity and high oil-displacing 

ability, which retain in the layer for 

a long time a complex of colloidal 

chemical properties, optimal for the 

production of heavy heavy oils were 

proposed for their implementation 

[15, 17, 18]. The acidic compound 

demonstrated its highest efficiency 

for carbonate reservoirs. 

In order to increase oil recovery and 

intensify oil production in deposits of 

high-viscosity oils in the absence of 

steam-heat treatment at 20 – 40°C, 

due to the increase in permeability 

of reservoir rocks and increase in 

productivity of production wells, an 

oil-displacing acid composition of 

the prolonged action of the HBB 

based on surfactant, inorganic acid 

adduct and polyhydric alcohol was 

developed. All reagents used are 

products of large-tonnage industrial 

production. The compound is 

compatible with mineralized reservoir 

waters, has a low freezing point 

(from minus 20 to minus 60°C), 

low tension between phases at the 

boundary with oil. The compound 

is applicable within the wide 

range of temperatures, from 10 

to 130°C, and is most effective in 

carbonate reservoirs, in particular, 

in the Permian-Carboniferous 

Deposit of the Usinskoye Field. The 

composition has a slow reaction with 

carbonate rocks, prevents formation 

of insoluble reaction products in the 

porous medium, has a dehydrating 

effect, restores initial permeability of 

the reservoir. 

Pilot and industrial works with 

application of the GBC acidic 

compound of prolonged action 

were performed at the Permian- 

FIGURE 3. Results of SHE on the Permian-Carboniferous Deposit of the Usinskoye field to Limit the Water Inflow with the Application of 

the MEGA Gel-Forming Composition: Increase in oil production rates, reduction in water cut: (а) – in production well No.7054 with SCT; 

(b) – in production well No.6108 in the area of steam and heat effect 


PRODUCTION 

FIGURE 4. Results of PIW with the use of the GBC acidic compound of prolonged action on low-productive production wells No.3057, 

1264, 3363, 2856 of the Permian-Carboniferous deposit of the Usinskoye field: increase in oil production rates (a) and liquid production 

rates (b) immediately after injection 

FIGURE 5. Results of PIW with the use of the GBC acidic compound of prolonged action on low-productive production wells of the 

Permian-Carboniferous deposit of the Usinskoye field: (а) – summary of 10 production wells, increase in oil production rates and 

reduction in water cut; (b) – average monthly oil production rates for individual wells for the entire observation period (19 months) for 

individual wells before and after treatment with the GBC compound 

Carboniferous Deposit of the 

Usinskoye Field from 29.05.2014 to 

26.07.2014. OSK LLC performed 

injection of the compound into 10 

low-productive production wells. 

The volume of injection of the 

compound was within the range of 

30 to 50 m 3 , the concentrate volume 

of the compound was 9 to 15 m 3 . 

Figure 4 shows a typical reaction of 

the wells immediately after injection, 

and Figure 5 shows the generalized 

schedule for oil and liquid flow 

rate increase in all 10 wells for the 

entire period after treatment – 19 

months and the average monthly oil 

production rates for individual wells 

before and after treatment with the 

GBC compound (according to the 

results for 19 months). 

After injection of the GBC acidic 

composition of the prolonged-action 

based on surfactant, inorganic acid 

adduct and polyol, an increase in oil 

production rates by 5.5 14.8 tons/ 

day, increase in liquid production 

rate by 15 to 25 m 3 /day. Average 

oil production rate for one well 

before treatment was 80 t/month, 

based on the results of 19 months 

after treatment – 185 t/month, 

that is, increase in oil production 

rate averaged 104 t/month per 

well. Additionally produced oil 

for the entire observation period 

(19 months) was ~ 20,000 tons for 

10 wells, ~ 2000 tons/well, the effect 

is continuous. 

Based on the results of the 

work performed, the technology 

of applying the GBC acidic 

composition of prolonged action to 

increase oil recovery and intensify 

oil production due to increase 

in permeability of rocks of the 

carbonate reservoir and increase 

in productivity of low productive 

production wells was recommended 

for industrial application. 

Large-scale industrial application of 

new “cold” physical and chemical 

technologies to increase oil recovery 

from highly viscous oil deposits, 

without a thermal impact, increasing 

the oil displacement coefficient 

while simultaneously intensifying the 

development, will allow prolongation 

of profitable operation of fields at 

later stages of development, and 

involve in development of a field 


PRODUCTION 

with complicated recoverable 

reserves of hydrocarbon raw 

materials, including deposits of 

high-viscosity oil grades and fields 

of the Arctic region, will favor 

development of the oil industry, 

expansion of its fuel and energy 

base. 

Conclusion 

To increase oil recovery and to 

limit water inflow of fields with 

complicated recoverable reserves, 

including deposits with carbonate 

reservoirs containing heavy, highly 

viscous oils, the Federal State 

Budgetary Research Institution IPC 

SB RAS developed technologies 

with the use of thermotropic gelforming 

compositions: with one 

gel-forming agent (the METKA ® 

and the PSB compounds) and two 

gel-forming agents – polymer and 

inorganic (the MEGA compound) 

with improved rheological 

characteristics and structural 

and mechanical properties. The 

compositions form coherently 

dispersed nanoscale structures 

directly in the reservoir with the 

temperature of 60 to 220°C with 

flooding, steam and steam cycling 

effect. The factor that causes gelforming 

is the thermal reservoir 

energy or the energy of the 

injected coolant. Gels formed in 

the reservoir restrain breakthrough 

of water or steam from injections 

to production wells, redistribute 

filtration flows of reservoir fluids 

in the oil reservoir, which leads to 

stabilization or reduction of water 

cut in production of surrounding 

producing or steam cyclic wells, 

and increase in oil production. 

Results of pilot and industrial 

tests of new technologies for 

water restriction limitation 

using the METKA ® , PSB and 

MEGA thermotropic gel-forming 

compounds on the Permian- 

Carboniferous deposit of highviscosity 

oil of the Usinskoye field 

under the natural development 

regime, with steam cycling and 

in the area injection area of 

steam, confirmed the ability of the 

compounds to effectively block 

water inflow in production wells, 

which leads to significant reduction 

in water cut and multiple increase 

in oil production rates. 

To increase oil recovery and 

intensify development of deposits 

of heavy, high-viscosity oil with 

carbonate reservoirs and with 

low reservoir temperature without 

steam-thermal action, “cold” 

physical and chemical technologies 

with oil-displacing compounds with 

controlled viscosity and alkalinity 

having a low freezing point (from 

minus 20 to minus 60) were 

proposed. Results of pilot and 

industrial tests of new technologies 

for increase in oil recovery and 

production intensification with the 

use of an the GBC oil-displacing 

acid compound of prolonged 

action based on surfactant, adduct 

of inorganic acid and polyhydric 

alcohol demonstrated high 

efficiency, which was expressed 

in increase in oil rates and 

intensification of development. The 

technology was recommended for 

industrial application. 

Physical and chemical technologies 

were developed for increasing oil 

recovery and limiting water inflow 

are promising for application at 

deposits with complications in 

recoverable reserves developed 

in extreme climatic conditions 

of northern regions, including 

deposits with carbonate reservoirs 

that containing heavy, highly 

viscous oil. Industrial application 

of new technologies will allow 

profitable operation of deposits, 

will contribute to development of 

oil production industry in northern 

regions. 

References 

1. Gazprom Neft is Selecting Technologies for 

Oil Production from Carbonate and Fractured 

Reservoirs. http://oilgascom.com/%E2%80%A2- 

gazprom-neft-podbiraet-texnologii-dlya-dobychinefti-iz-karbonatnyx-i-treshhinovatyx-kollektorov/ 

Обращение 24.03.2017. 

2. Types of Reservoirs and Fluid Seals http://neftegaz. 

ru/tech_library/view/4675-Tipy-kollektorov-iflyuidouporov 

Address 24.03.2017. 

3. Volkov, K.A., Borkhohivh, S.Yu., Volkov, A.Ya., 

Milovzorov, G.V., Chebotarev, V.V. Research 

of Thermal Cyclic Impact on the Bottomhole 

Well Zone. Electronic Scientific Mazazine 

“Neftegazovoye Delo”, 2012, No.6, P.198-203. 

http://www.ogbus.ru Address 24.03.2017. 

4. Zolotukhin, A.B., Gudmestad, O.T., Yarlsblue, E.T. 

Oil and Gas Resources, Development of Shelf 

Fields. WIT press, Southampton, Great Britain, 

2011, 279 p. (Russian edition). 

5. Sergei Barkov, Evgeniy Grunis, Alexander Khavkin. 

Oil products: Reserves and Oil Recovery Factor. 

http://neftegaz.ru/science/view/932/ Обращение 

26.05.2015. 

6. Altunina, L., Kuvshinov, V., Kuvshinov, I. Promising 

physical-chemical IOR technologies for Arctic 

oilfields // Society of Petroleum Engineers – SPE 

Arctic and Extreme Environments Conference 

and Exhibition, AEE, 2013. – 2, pp. 1057-1082. 

Document Type: Conference Paper. 

7. Altunina, L.K., Kuvshinov V.A. Physical and 

Chemical Methods for Increasing Oil recovery in 

Oilfields (Review) // Uspekhi Khimii. – 2007. – V. 

76. – No. 10. – P. 1034–1052. 

8. L.K. Altunina, V.A. Kuvshinov, Improved 

oil recovery of high-viscosity oil pools with 

physicochemical methods at thermal-steam 

treatments”// Oil&Gas Science and Technology. – 

2008. – V. 63, №1. P: 37-48. 

9. Altunina L. K. Thermotropic Inorganic Gels for 

Enhanced Oil Recovery / L. K. Altunina, V.A. 

Kuvshinov // Progress in Oilfield Chemistry. – V. 9. 

– Recent Innovations in Oil and Gas Recovery. Ed. 

by Istvan Lakatos. – Akademiai Kiado, Budapest. 

2011. – P. 165-178. 

10. Altunina L.K. Integrated IOR technologies for 

heavy oil pools / L.K. Altunina, V.A. Kuvshinov, 

M.V. Chertenkov, S.O. Ursegov // Abstract Book of 

the 21st World Petroleum Congress. – Moscow, 

Russia. June 15-19, 2014. – P. 10-11. 

11. Altunina, L.K. Physical, Chemical, and Complex 

Technologies for Increasing Oil Recovery from 

High-Viscosity Oil Deposits / Altunina, L.K., 

Kuvshinov, V.A., Kuvshinov, I.V. // Neft i Gaz 

(Kazakhstan) - 2015. - No. 3 (87). - P. 31-50. 

12. Altunina L.K. Improved cyclic-steam well 

treatment using thermoreversible polymer gels. 

/ L.K. Altunina, V.A. Kuvshinov, L.A. Stasyeva, 

V.N. Alekseev // Progress in Oilfield Chemistry. 

V. 7. Smart Fields, Smart Wells and Smart 

Technologies. Ed. by Istvan Lakatos. – 2007. – 

P. 75-82. 

13. Altunina, L.K., Kuvshinov V.A., Stasiyeva L.A. 

Thermoreversible Polymer Gels for Enhanced 

Oil Recovery // Chemistry for Sustainable 

Development. – 2011. – No. 19. – №2 – 

P.127 – 136. 

14. Altunina L.K. Gel-forming METKA® system 

for selective water shutoff and enhanced 

oil recovery from Permocarbonic deposit in 

Usinskoye oilfield / L.K. Altunina, L.A. Stasyeva, 

V.V. Kozlov, V.A. Kuvshinov // AIP Conference 

Proceedings 1683, 020007 (2015); http://dx.doi. 

org/10.1063/1.4932697 

15. Altunina L.K., Kuvshinov V.A., Kuvshinov I.V. 

Physicochemical technologies for enhanced oil 

recovery in deposits with difficult-to-recover 

reserves /AIP Conference Proceedings. USA. 

2016. V.1783. P. 020004. 

16. Altunina L.K. Thermotropic nanostructured 

“gel in gel” systems for improved oil recovery 

and water shutoff / L.K. Altunina, V.A. 

Kuvshinov, L. A. Stasyeva // AIP Conference 

Proceedings 1683, 020207 (2015); http://dx.doi. 

org/10.1063/1.4932695. 

17. Altunina L.K., Kuvshinov V.A., Kuvshinov I.V. 

«Cold» technologies for enhanced oil recovery 

from high-viscosity oil pools in carbonate 

reservoirs / Conference Proceeding, April 11-14, 

2016, Saint Petersburg. Paper Th A 04. – flashmemory. 

18. Altunina, L. “Cold” Technologies for Enhanced 

Oil Recovery. Inter-Reservoir Smart Compound 

for High-Viscosity Oil / L. Altunina, V. Kuvshinov, 

I. Kuvshinov, M. Chertenkov // Oil&Gas Journal 

Russia. – 2016. – No.1. – P. 16 – 20. 



VIRTUAL CONDITIONS OF IMPROVING 

THE QUALITY OF PROFESSIONAL 

TRAINING OF DRILLERS 

COMPETITIVENESS OF AN ENTERPRISE IS IN MANY RESPECTS DETERMINED BY LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGIES 

THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED ONLY BY PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED PERSONNEL. TO STRENGTHEN CONSTANT 

PROFESSIONAL RETRAINING, TRAINING AND REFRESHER TRAINING FOR PERSONNEL IN PRODUCTION INDUSTRY 

AS WELL AS TO CREATE IDENTICAL CONDITIONS OF OIL AND GAS WELL DRILLING, AN AUTOMATED TEACHING 

SYSTEM (ATS) "OIL AND GAS WELLS DRILLING" IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT WAS DEVELOPED. THE MAIN 

DIFFERENCE OF THIS PROGRAM IS MAXIMUM CORRESPONDENCE OF THEORETICAL TRAINING TO PRACTICE: 

TECHNOLOGICAL CORRESPONDENCE OF PERFORMED OPERATIONS, ANIMATION OF OPERATION PERFORMANCE, 

TRAINING TASKS AND SELF-CHECK TASKS ON TOP DRIVE DRILL RIGS 

VISIT OF DRILLING OBJECTS BY TRAINEES AND WORK WITH VIRTUAL DRILLING PROGRAM ALLOW FOR BETTER 

REMEMBERING OF PROCESS OF WELL DRILLING AND REALLY PARTICIPATE IN WELL CREATION PROCESS NOT 

ONLY AS A LISTENER, BUT AS A DRILLER ASSISTANT, DRILLER, DRILLING ENGINEER. IN ADDITION, EVERY TRAINEE 

CAN VIRTUALLY DRILL HIS OWN FIRST WELL OF ANY DEPTH BY HIS OWN. SKILLS ACQUIRED DURING WORK WITH 

ATS "OIL AND GAS WELLS DRILLING" WILL BE USEFUL DURING DRILLING OF ACTUAL OIL AND GAS WELLS OF 

DIFFERENT DEPTH, IN RUSSIA AND ABROAD 

UDC 378.147 

KEY WORDS: computer program, wells drilling, depth, training, retraining. 

Fanil I. Akhmadeev, 

Director General of Industrial Systems LLC 

Tatiana N. Ivanova, 

Ph.D. in Engineering Science, Professor 

Sergey I. Safronov, 

Senior Lecturer 

Department of Oil and Gas Wells Drilling 

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution 

of Higher Education "Udmurt State University" 

Modern drilling production has to constantly take 

actions to ensure its leading position in region and 

to be able to meet competition. It is hard due to the 

fact that technological progress causes changes 

in technologies, which themselves require new 

professional skills. Consequently, to develop and 

improve the industry, it is necessary to constantly 

upgrade professional skills and knowledge of 

enterprise personnel, as well as to adapt professional 

skills and experience to modern conditions of 

technological production. 

To strengthen constant professional retraining, training 

and refresher training for personnel in production 

industry as well as to create identical conditions 

of oil and gas well drilling Industrial Systems LLC 

(Izhevsk, Russia) developed an automated teaching 

system (ATS) "Oil and Gas Wells Drilling" in virtual 

environment [1]. 

ATS "Oil and Gas Wells Drilling" consists of three 

teaching blocks: drill rig BU-320 (БУ-320) with Bentec 

top drive system; mobile drill rig ZJ-40 with TESCO 

top drive system; drilling equipment and tools. 

The main difference of this program is maximum 

correspondence of theoretical training to practice: 

technological correspondence of performed 

operations, animation of operation performance, 

sequence of operation performance, training tasks 

and self-check tasks on top drive drill rigs. Thanks 

to simple and graphical representation of complex 



technological objects in live graphical screen form 

with navigation, the key points of each operation of 

technological process on drill rigs are revealed. Full 

cycle of well drilling is represented in full simulator 

of drilling process with account to specific features 

of responsibilities of driller assistant, driller, drilling 

engineer. 

Being present on realistic 3D model of drill rigs in role 

of worker-observer and operating them, a trainee can 

walk through the whole drilling site, look carefully at 

its technological facilities (Fig. 1), examine functional 

structure, main systems and blocks. One can select 

any object (circulating system, pump block, driller 

cabin, spider etc.), receive information about it and 

have a closer look from every side. Blocks contain 

scalable interactive pages with animated 2D/3D 

graphics and navigation that in real-time mode provide 

the arrangement of equipment and tools, operation 

principles, classification, and additional reference 

information on drilling facilities. 

FIG. 2. Lowering of Double Stands' Demonstration on BU-320 

(БУ-320) 

FIG. 3. Selection of working operation performing tasks 

independently 

FIG. 1. Fragment of BU-320 (БУ-320) drill rig tour 

• odd works during wells drilling: reciprocating, 

connection, stop and start up of pump and drilling 

under different modes; 

Using 3D model of selected drilling site, a trainee can 

watch over the process of operation performance 

with detailed comments, status of controls and tools 

in driller cabin, examine the process from any space 

point (Fig. 2, 3). 

Full simulation of drilling process in automated system 

"Oil and Gas Wells Drilling" enables to teach trainees 

the steps, principles and main features of wells 

drilling at any depth during teaching process in virtual 

environment. 

Simulation is provided for such functions as: 

• reaction torque depending on drilling interval; 

• full-scale tool for processing of data on static 

measure; 

• rate of azimuth change relatively to drilling interval; 

• negative trend during drilling by rotation; 

• possibility of salvage operation due to violation of 

drilling technology; 

• sampling of intermediate static data in the process 

of drilling; 

• interface language selection: Russian or English; 

• graphical profile view, individual measurement of 

tool based on length, project deviation survey and 

estimated position of well relative to project profile. 

All these functions during training the applicants for 

the position of driller assistant, driller, drilling engineer 

improve the level of professional and theoretical 

education. 

It may become possible for everyone to drill oil and 

gas wells in any time. Visit of drilling objects by 

trainees and work with virtual drilling program allow 

for better remembering of process of well drilling and 

really participate in well creation process not only 

as a listener, but as a driller assistant, driller, drilling 

engineer. In addition, every trainee can virtually drill 

his own first well of any depth by his own. Skills 

acquired during work with ATS "Oil and Gas Wells 

Drilling" will be useful during drilling of actual oil and 

gas wells of different depth, in Russia and abroad. 




HUMAN CARE IS 

A PREREQUISITE 

FOR COMPANY 

SUCCESSFUL 

DEVELOPMENT 


70



SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF AN OIL AND GAS COMPANY IS MANDATORY FOR EACH MODERN ENTERPRISE. 

EVERY DAY EMPLOYEES WORK AT HAZARDOUS PRODUCTION FACILITIES, OFTEN UNDER EXTREME 

CONDITIONS, AND HIGH PROFESSIONAL SKILLS ARE REQUIRED HERE. HOW DO DOMESTIC DRILLING 

COMPANIES CREATE A COMFORTABLE CLIMATE ON THEIR PRODUCTION ENTERPRISES? 

ADS 


КЛЮЧЕВЫЕ СЛОВА: corporate responsibility, service companies, social policy, personnel, training. 

The companies having long-term strategic 

development plans always pay great attention 

to social responsibility issues. This especially 

applies to oil and gas industry. 

In Siberian Service Company JSC, one of 

the Russia’s leading oil servicing companies 

successfully operating on the market since 

2000, social responsibility is always alongside 

environmental care. These are essential 

competitive advantages for an enterprise. 

Social policy implementation basis is longterm 

social programs having the greatest value 

for employees and aimed at attracting highly 

qualified personnel to the company, building and 

keeping a stable staff. 

Decent labor conditions in SSC are as important 

as equipment modernization. These two 

components, together with professional skills, 

provide production excellence of the entire 

enterprise. 

FACTS 

4.6 

thousand employees 

are working today at the 

SSC facilities 

Training of the employee 

pool is one of the main 

strategic areas of the 

corporate policy of the 

Siberian Service Company 

“Today living trailers at the facilities are complete modern 

settlements with shower cabins, saunas, satellite dishes. 

Certainly, we cannot substitute a family for employees 

completely, but we make all efforts to minimize the 

discomfort they feel when on a working shift” – says 

SSC’s first deputy general director Valeriy Rogozhkin 

The company has got a number of traditions for 17 

years of operation. 

Employee pool training is one of Siberian Service 

Company’s corporate policy key strategic areas. 

Educational programs for young specialists, their 

social, material incentive, professional contests – all 

this enables to raise the staff professional level on a 

constant basis. 

The work with young specialists in SSC typically 

starts before their employment and includes 

production practice and probation: SSC cooperates 

actively with country’s leading higher institutions, 

participates in Career days, Vacancy fairs, conducts 

meetings with students and 

postgraduates. Graduates from 

the top industry higher institutions 

of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ufa, 

Tomsk, Tyumen and other cities 

are working on the enterprise. 

Novices are given young 

specialist’s status for five years 

and it provides certain privileges 

and warranties to be used for 

further development. Besides, an 

experienced trainer is assigned 

to each young specialist. He 

introduces a former student 

to corporate traditions, values 

and plans of the company, 

helps accommodate to working 

conditions, teaches to use skills, 

knowledge and expertise in 

an efficient way. An individual 

development plan with goals and 

tasks is made for each specialist. 

The company has developed 

a series of corporate training 

programs for proper education 

of future professionals. Their 

importance is emphasized not 

only by former students but also 

by experienced employees. 

For example, in 2016 BIRC 

company developed jointly with 

SSC a special training course 

for young specialists with the 

main objectives being: building 

young specialists’ comprehension 

of team targets orientation in 

their work, developing stable 

interaction skills in the course of 

solving commons tasks, acquiring 

leadership skills in a team. 

Siberian Service Company strictly 

heads for continuity therefore 

conducting such business 

simulations is a prerequisite 

for correct comprehension, on 

the part of future professional 

71



specialists, of interfunctional interaction 

‘problematic areas’, idea advancement and 

economically reasonable innovations within a 

company. The human capital is evaluated in 

SSC to be one of the major components of the 

company success. 

SSC holds a forum for young specialists 

every year, with the central event being 

a scientific and technical conference. 

Representatives of all company regional offices 

give reports at this conference. The main goal is 

to present innovative solutions. If the proposed 

projects are economically beneficial for the 

company, if their applicability is proven and 

technical issues are elaborated in details then 

such projects are put in practice. 

Taking care of employees’ families and 

children, voluntary health insurance, health 

resort treatment, summer recreation for children 

on the Black Sea are also significant areas of 

SSC’s social policy. 

Providing charity support to various 

establishments involved in the treatment and 

education of adults and children: nursing homes, 

rehabilitation centers, children sports schools, 

hospitals. 

Every year employees take part in the 

corporate Olympics and ecological cleanup 

days held in all cities where SSC is present. 

FACTS 

Graduates of higher 

educational institutions of 

Moscow, St.-Petersburg, 

Ural, Ufa, Tomsk, Tyumen 

and other cities work at the 

enterprise 

Human capital assets are 

considered at the SSC 

as one of the important 

components of success for 

the whole company 

In2016 

BIRC Company jointly 

with SSC has developed a 

special training course for 

young specialists 

Every year, a meeting of 

young specialists is held at 

the SSC, the central event 

of which is a scientific and 

technical conference 

The company carries out 

its activities based on labor 

regulations (and even surpasses 

them providing further social 

support to employees), takes 

care of labor conditions 

and social well-being of its 

employees. 

SSC holds a firm place on the 

home market, and under the 

estimates given in different years, 

it has around 7% share of the 

annual drilling volume in Russia. 

Today SSC is more than 4.6 

thousand work places. Brigades 

and specialists are holders of 

industry and state awards. 

By all its history SSC shows 

that an independent Russian 

company is capable to exist 

on the market and sustain 

competition with dignity. Trust 

of the best representatives of oil 

and gas industry being Siberian 

Service Company partners and 

customers is the best proof for 

this. 

More than a hundred of persons receive 

annually deserved corporate and state 

awards, or are marked by Customers and 

partners. The best workers are honored at 

special events in all regions. 

High professional level of SSC’s Tomsk regional 

office has been pointed by the Deputy General 

Director for Drilling of Messoyakhaneftegaz JSC Kirill 

Vorontsov when congratulating the company on its 

17th anniversary: ‘17 years is a decent age for a 

company that is successful on the Russian oil servicing 

market. SSC’s great merit is that it keeps highly 

qualified specialists on its staff for such a long period 

of time. This helps provide a high quality and safety 

of operations along with their economic efficiency. 

I congratulate the employees of Tomsk regional 

office and the whole company with this event. I am 

convinced that great future lies ahead for SSC JSC!» 

(note: Two years in a row – in 2014 and 2015 – Tomsk regional office and SSC-Technologies brigades 

of Siberian Service Company JSC were the best when performing operations on the Eastern- 

Messoyakha field based on summary annual figures, for which they were awarded by the Customer) 

72

CHRONOGRAPH 

WHAT 


WROTE ABOUT 

10 YEARS AGO… 


ECOLOGY 


SIBERIAN 

SERVICE 

COMPANY: 

TOP QUALITY OIL PRODUCTION 

AND RELATED SERVICES WHILE STAYING 

ECO FRIENDLY 


74



THE FAR NORTH IS A TERRITORY CHARACTERISED BY ITS EXTREME CLIMATE, WHILE ITS SIZE 

EXCEEDS THAT OF SEVERAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TOGETHER. THIS IS WHERE 20% OF THE WORLD’S 

OIL AND GAS COME FROM EACH YEAR. THIS IS NOT JUST RUSSIA’S VAST RAW MATERIALS BASE, 

BUT ALSO A KIND OF GUARANTOR OF OUR COUNTRY’S ENERGY SECURITY FOR MANY YEARS TO 

COME BECAUSE IT IS HERE THAT APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER OF THE WORLD’S HYDROCARBON 

RESOURCES ARE CONCENTRATED 

KEYWORDS: Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, drilling,Messoyakhskoye field, Siberian Service company, green technologies. 

ADS 


Well drilling is the main oil and gas exploration 

method, but few companies venture to operate in 

remote areas known for their complicated geology, 

especially since using sustainable technologies has 

become mandatory. The Siberian Service company 

is one of those rather few who not only drill at such 

complicated fields, but is also determined to avail of 

all possible means to minimise the negative impact 

on the environment. 

A fine example of this policy are the operations on 

the Messoyakha fields, in the Tazovsky District of 

the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, in the Arctic 

climate zone, some 250 kilometres from the actual 

Arctic Circle. These are Russia’s northernmost 

onshore oilfields. 

In winter, which lasts 9 long months in these 

parts, temperatures go down to as low as – 50-60 

degrees Celsius, with winds gusting to 40 meter per 

second. Endless blizzards are a major hindrance 

for drilling operations, and December gratifies in 

its own fashion with several weeks of impenetrable 

polar night. Summer brings challenges of its own: 

rotation workers have to learn to sleep “with the 

lights on”: the sun does not set during so-called 

“white nights”. All this notwithstanding, the Siberian 

Service company strives to ensure total safety 

and maximum comfortable work conditions for its 

employees working on the production sites. 

To further strengthen its leading positions 

among Russian service companies in terms of 

labour safety and a responsible attitude to the 

environment, the Siberian Service company seeks 

to ensure maximum compliance with the list of 

FACTS 

90 % 

of Russian gas and oil 

is extracted annually in the 

Far North 

since2011 

SSC successfully operates 

at the facilities of 

Messoyakhaneftegas 

86 hectares 

area of restoration works 

The Company’s goal is not only to preserve the 

unique lands it operates on, but also to remediate 

them afterwards. Construction waste, corroded drilling 

equipment, wood rot, all here since the 1980s, are dug 

out, stored and, once the winter arrives, taken out to 

an industrial waste landfill, while the territory cleared of 

waste is fertilised and seeded with mixed herbs. 10 of 

the prospect holes have already undergone reclamation, 

with the area of remediation efforts totalling 86 ha!) 

Russian national environmental 

standards and corporate policy 

requirements. 

The Company complies with 

the requirements contained 

in the existing Russian laws, 

norms and regulations regarding 

industrial, labour safety and 

environmental protection. This 

is where the experience CJSC 

Messoyakhaneftegaz at whose 

facilities Siberian Service 

company has been successfully 

operating since 2011, becomes 

quite helpful. 

It is also extremely important to 

ensure that only state-of-the-art 

sustainable technologies are used 

in designing the Messoyakha 

production facilities: for example, 

to protect the unique soils, the 

entire oilfield infrastructure was 

built on 10-meter piers, and multiton 

facilities rise 1/5-2 meters 

above ground level. 

The Siberian Service company 

already has three integrated 

management system certificates 

under its belt. ISO 9001:2008 

confirms excellent quality 

management; ISO 14001:2004 

acknowledges that the company 

conforms to the international 

environmental management 

requirements; OHSAS 

18001:2007 is a certificate of 

conformity to the international 

occupational health and safety. 

It is also worth noting that the 

Siberian Service company 

insists on compliance with 

all of the above labour safety 

and environmental protection 

requirements, with constant 

monitoring being part of its policy. 

75

ECOLOGY 


Of all operations in the oil and gas sector, 

operations related to well construction and 

servicing and auxiliary operations require greatest 

care and responsibility; and that is precisely 

why the Siberian Service company is committed 

to taking timely measures to avoid pollution 

and ensure efficient response to emergencies 

at production sites, progressively curbing the 

negative environmental footprint. 

The purpose of safety standards and regulations 

and of the upgrading of the Siberian Service 

company’s industrial manufacturing equipment 

are to ensure correct and safe implementation of 

all kinds of operations carried out. For example, 

when constructing Russia’s northernmost pipeline 

underwater passages over the Indikyakha and 

Muduyakha rivers at the East Messoyakha field, 

the rivers’ natural area was preserved undisturbed 

thanks to the Company’s decision to employ 

directional drilling technologies. And to eliminate 

the effect of heat on watercourses, the wallthickness 

of the pipeline passing under riverbeds 

is 30% higher. 

To avoid damaging the unique Arctic ecosystem, 

the pipeline was laid above ground using 

special technique for temperature stabilisation of 

permafrost soil. 

Site managers are personally liable for 

arrangement and control over the compliance with 

industrial safety provisions and relevant experts. 

The Siberian Service company’s management 

has set for itself the 0 target, i.e. maximum 

reduction of the accident rate, which is a goal 

that absolutely all of the Company’s employees 

are supposed to pursue. The Siberian Service 

company has a special labour and industrial 

safety and environmental monitoring department, 

which is consistently working to incentivise 

employees with regard to individual and collective 

security, timely adjustment of the internal 

security standards, as well as seeks to facilitate 

production modernisation as far as using safe 

operation schemes at complex facilities is 

concerned. 

The Company is committed to continuous 

work on improving its operations in terms of 

environmental and industrial safety, using stateof-the-art 

methods, processes and technologies, 

routinely upgrading personnel management, 

training and incentive systems. 

And one thing to be mentioned in this connection 

is a tradition that has caught on remarkably 

with the Company’s employees: every year the 

Siberian Service company celebrates the Day of 

Oil, Gas and Fuel Industry Workers by holding an 

FACTS 

2 m 

from the ground is the height 

of the multi-ton objects 

for preservation of the 

unique soil and entire field 

infrastructure 

-60 °С 

air temperature in winter, 

lasting for 9 months in the 

Tazovsky Peninsula 

70% 

of oil reserves is represented 

by heavy, high-viscose, 

resinous oil with a low 

content of light fractions 

868 m 

area of fields discovered 

2 

6 mln 

tons of oil – production to 

be reached at the Eastern 

section in 2020 

annual environmentalist volunteer 

community services day at all 

of its branches and offices. The 

Siberian Service company’s 

teams in Novy Urengoy, Moscow, 

Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk and 

Nefteyugansk lay out lanes, work 

on improving the land and the 

playgrounds, and plant trees and 

shrubs. 

“Our professional holiday is the 

day when all of us get an extra 

opportunity to dedicate a little bit 

more time than usual to sizing up 

our personal contribution to the 

development of one of Russia’s 

key industries,” said Vladimir 

Shesterikov, Siberian Service 

company CEO, speaking at one 

of the environmentalist events. 

“We are pleased to see that many 

Siberian Service company’s 

employees demonstrate 

tremendous solidarity coming out 

to work together at such events. 

By working alongside adults, 

children learn to be mindful of the 

environment, foster a responsible 

attitude to nature, keeping the 

place they live in both clean and 

comfortable”. 

Continual upgrading of 

technologies, expanding the 

Company’s presence, continuous 

retrofitting, social responsibility 

and environmental concern all 

constitute the Siberian Service 

company’s key competitive 

strengths. 

Siberian Service company is an 

independent Russian company 

offering a wide range of services 

to companies operating in the 

oil and gas sector. The Siberian 

Service company’s key business 

lines include prospecting, 

exploratory and production drilling 

of oil and gas wells, well servicing, 

engineering services related to 

directional drilling, development 

of drilling fluids and supervision 

of their use in production 

operations, and well cementing. 

The geography of the Company’s 

operations includes Western and 

Eastern Siberia, in the Volga 

region, and in the Far North. 

76


Classifier 

ROLLING DRILLING TOOL 

1.1 The equipment 

for oil and gas 

extracting 

1.1.1 Drilling equipment 

and instruments 

1.1.1.1.5 Drilling tools 

In drilling the wells the most 

widely used the rolling drilling 

bits. They performed yearly 

about 85% from the penetration 

volume in our country and abroad. 

On the operating principle it is 

breaking and shearing instrument. 

According to the design, rolling 

drilling bit is related to the 

mechanisms, as it has the rotation 

parts, positioned on the support 

bearing devices. 

The most popular is three-rolling 

drilling bit. The design of such bit 

allows the best way mechanism 

of the instrument to fit into the 

cylindrical well with three cone 

roller hits. At than it is ensured 

the appropriate centering and the 

constancy of performance the 

hit. Three rolling drilling bits are 

produced as sectional (without 

housing). 

Sectional three rolling drilling bit is 

made from the sections, welded 

together on all external loop of the 

contact surfaces. At that the upper 

segments of the sections for the 

connection head, on which the 

conical external thread is cut. The 

middle part makes a whole in the 

result of welding the shoes. On 

the external surface of the shoes, 

reaming lugs, beads and stiffening 

plates and round semi cylindrical 

nozzle boss are provided. Nozzles 

are fixed with the capture lock. 

The Sealing of the gapping 

between the nozzle and internal 

wall of the cavity is provided with 

the rubber sealing. 

Shirttail is usually protected with 

anti-abrasive coating. On the 

back of the roller hit the protection 

coating with good resistance to 

the abrasion of the calibrated 

surface, divided by one of the 

cone surface of the roller hit 

housing is overlaid. The tip of 

the first roller hit is made with the 

spade-shaped elements. 

On the upper butt end of the 

connection head the size, fabric 

number and frilling bit type, trade 

mark and batch number of the 

drilling bits is punched. 

Internal elements of the 

drilling bit 

The support of the roller hit is 

usually consists of the projecting 

central shaft, making a whole with 

the lug and bearings, allowing free 

rotation of the roller bit relating to 

the central shaft and transferring 

the axial and radial loads. One of 

the bearings simultaneously with 

the specified functions perform the 

role of the locking, fixing device, 

supporting the roller hit on the 

center shaft from the longitudinal 

displacement. So, such bearing 

is called locking. As a rule, it is 

made as ball bearing. Its balls are 

established in the corresponding 

hole through the cylindrical pass, 

drilled in the central shaft and 

locked after its installation with the 

special part, called locking plug. 

This part has a shape of the bar 

and performs the function of the 

plug, coming into the pass and not 

allowing the balls to roll out of the 

track. 


NEFTEGAZ 

A.Lapin, A.Maximov 

G.Gref , 

A.Novak 

A.Shadrin, V.Kniaginin 

M.Toukai 

Opening of NDExpo 

D. Colson 

A.Borovkov, D.Peskov 

A.Godovikov, A.Davidov 

D.Belenko, M.Sharov 

Atomenergomash stend on 

NDExpo 

S.Leontiev

A.Parshikov, A.Fedin 

T. Rott 

A.Skvorzov 

V.Nugmanov 

M. Abyzov, G. Gref 

G. Samoylova, 

A. Ushakov 

E.Tevenkova, 

M.Filimonov 

I.Mudrik, A.Naumov 

D.Kokorin, A.Mykhin 

S.Wildman 

U.Verbitskiy 

A.Voloshin, E.Yasin 

V.Burtsev 

Rosatom stend 

on NDExpo

QUOTES 

“ 

I find it pretty 

obvious that 

incentives are a must” 

Vladimir Putin 

“ 

Tax exemptions are 

fine as long as they 

do not result in massive 

loopholes in our tax 

legislation” 

Anton Siluanov 

“ 

Oil prices are no 

longer influenced 

by the US Dollar 

exchange rate as much 

as they were before” 

German Gref 

“ 

Viewing the 

Antarctic as solely 

a source of hydrocarbons 

is nothing less than an 

utterly short-sighted, 

simplistic attitude” 

Igor Orlov 

“ 

Even if gas 

production is indeed 

increased, this will be 

a negotiated decision 

aimed at stabilising the 

market” 

Vagit Alekperov 

“ 

The Russian oil 

and gas sector is 

strong enough and does 

not feel threatened by 

competitors like shale 

oil producers” 

Alexander Novak 

“ 

Gazprom’s motto is: 

Gas is only produced 

once it’s been sold!” 

Alexey Miller 


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Neftegaz.RU #3-17 ENG

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