NEW FRONTIERS FOR HYDROCARBON PRODUCTION IN THE TIMAN-PECHORA BASIN, RUSSIA

Abstract

The Timan-Pechora Basin, located west of the Ural Mountains in northern Russia, is a prolific oil province covering 300,000 km2. The basin, which has been efficiently explored, is predominantly oil prone, but significant accumulations of gas exist. The mean discovered field size of the basin has diminished considerably since it was first explored in the 1930s. Onshore, the current exploration potential is small to moderate in terms of potential-field reserves size but large in terms of number of untested prospects and leads. Eight of the nine identified plays are in the "plateau" phase. The remaining play is in the "breakthrough" phase, but the reserves potential is small to moderate. The field-development potential of the onshore region is substantial. Overall, 80%, or 13 billion barrels, of oil reserves remain unproduced. Most of the unproduced oil reserves are found in three carbonate plays: Lower Permian, Upper Devonian Fammenian, and Lower Devonian. Exploration potential exists in the offshore Pechora Sea, which is an immature exploration region. Four main plays, which are extensions of proven plays within the onshore portion of the basin, define the offshore exploration potential. The offshore portions of the plays are in the "active-growth" or possibly the "breakthrough" phase.