Gazprom Neft subsidiary Gazpromneft Sakhalin has received subsoil-use rights to two license blocks in the Russian Arctic.

The Severo-Zapadniy (northeast) block is on the Pechora Sea shelf, and the Heysovskiy block is on the Barents Sea continental shelf.

The company has begun geological and geophysical analysis of available information to construct a geological model of the region and to develop a program for further exploration and prospecting activities.

The Severo-Zapadniy block is near Gazprom Neft’s other Arctic shelf assets: the Dolginskoye and Prirazlomnoye fields. Water depths in the area reach 200 m (656 ft). A total 11,500 km (7,146 mi) of 2D seismic operations have been undertaken on the block. The block is 8,860 sq km (3,420 sq mi), with D1 reserves (Russian classification) estimated at more than 105 million metric tons of oil and gas condensate. It is also forecasted to contain 60 bcm (2.1 tcf) of gas.

The Heysovskiy block is located west of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, about 1,000 km (621 mi) from the coast. The block is 83,600 sq km (32,278 sq mi), with water depths ranging from 200 m and 500 m (656 ft and 1,640 ft).

The region is characterized by extreme environmental and climatic conditions, with the northwestern and northeastern sections of the block potentially remaining ice-bound throughout the year. Data on the block is limited, with 8,300 km (5,157 mi) of 2D seismic having been conducted to date. While commercial oil and gas reserves are unproven, D2 reserves (Russian classification) are estimated at 140 million metric tons of oil and gas condensate and 2 tcm (70 tcf) of gas.

Source: Offshore Magazine