How is the construction of the power of Siberia. Was the Power of Siberia gas pipeline not needed even by the Chinese? Negative feedback about the Power of Siberia project

The landscape is densely dotted with spots of stone rivers - kurums, on which nothing grows. Photo: Semyon KOSOV

Semyon KOSOV

Two years ago, a large-scale oil and gas project was launched in Russia: the first joint of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline was welded in the vicinity of Yakutsk

The gas pipeline will stretch more than 3,000 kilometers across the south of Yakutia and the Amur Region to Blagoveshchensk. The pipe will go across the Amur River to China, and, accordingly, Chinese builders will lay it further.

If you look at the map of Russia, you can see that for almost the entire length of the Power of Siberia route runs almost parallel to the route of the Eastern Siberia export oil pipeline - Pacific Ocean(ESPO). In some places they come together at a distance of several kilometers.

At first glance, this should make the task easier for the builders of the gas pipeline - as they say, it is obviously more difficult for the pioneers. In reality, the opposite is true, because the oilmen have chosen the best route. Although on their way the conditions were far from ideal. After all, Eastern Siberia is a dense taiga, swamps, numerous streams and rivers, steep slopes of hills and, most importantly, the absence of roads.

A complete set of extreme beauties of nature went to the general contractor of Gazprom - OOO Stroygazmontazh.

"Power of Siberia"

His companies Krasnodargazstroy, Lengazspetsstroy and Gazregion are to lay 1,124 kilometers of a main gas pipeline through the Aldan and Neryungri regions of Yakutia and the Amur Region to China.

Now about 2,000 specialists and almost a thousand units of equipment have been mobilized in Yakutia. Stroygazmontazh continues to increase the pace of construction - by the end of this year it will reach its peak load.

It is impossible to dig a trench in the rock: in the Neryungri region, three-quarters of the route was completed with the help of blasting. Photo: Semyon KOSOV

What happens during the construction of the gas pipeline, we decided to find out on the example of one of its most accessible sections. Nearby is the city of Neryungri, and the Power of Siberia is within easy reach.

The SGM division, Krasnodargazstroy, is employed here. The first specialists of this company arrived in the village of Chulman, located in the vicinity of the coal capital of Yakutia - the city of Neryungri, at the end of last year.

coal edge

As always, the gas pipeline began with the construction and arrangement of a temporary residential town for builders. By the New Year, heating was already started in it and the first tenants appeared. The heating was done on time: on December 26 it was -52 degrees here. In addition to residential modules, the campus has a canteen, an administrative complex, a first-aid post, a boiler room, and a shower room — everything you need for a comfortable life.

A pipe-welding base has been deployed near the town.

“Here, a section is welded from two pipes, which makes it possible to increase the productivity of welding complexes operating on the main pipeline construction route,” says Ivan Melnichenko, head of the KTP Krasnodargazstroy section.

The welder works without looking at the remote control, as if "typing blindly". Photo: Semyon KOSOV

Welding is automatic. The pipes are joined at the ends, and inside them, a centralizer, similar to a robot with dexterous manipulator arms from a science fiction film, perfectly adjusts the edges. After that, the welder, having installed the welding heads, starts the process. It takes several tens of minutes for one section, and the role of the welder is reduced to controlling and, if necessary, correcting the movement of the welding head. In his hands he has a remote control with buttons, in front of his eyes is a monitor to which the video camera transmits what is happening. The welder works without looking at the remote control, “blindly typing”. In general, for high-quality work, skill and certain knowledge are needed.

- I mastered the automatic machine on this business trip. Initially, I was certified as a manual arc welder, but then I was offered a place here. Nothing complicated, but if anything, foreman Sasha Nikolaev will tell you. Of course, the work is a little monotonous, but less physical stress. I have been with the company for 6 years. Vyborg, Dzhubga, Pikalevo, Vologda, now - "The Power of Siberia". He started as a mechanic, worked for a year, learned to be a welder and soon began to weld a pipe. We have a training plant, so that everyone who wants to retrain, improve their skills and earnings, - said Vitaly Chernov, an electric and gas welder at Krasnodargazstroy.

On the linear part of the gas pipeline, welding is carried out at the domestic Technotron complex and at the CRC Evans automatic welding complex. According to the chief welder of Krasnodargazstroy, Viktor Didenko, it was he who was relied on, since this is the most productive complex - it can weld from 35 to 45 joints per shift. And you can learn how to manage it in a week or two - it all depends on the person.

Flat sections without slope along the route of the gas pipeline are a rarity. Photo: Semyon KOSOV

Oh dear...

Sections of pipes on tractors are delivered to the pipeline route. In the Chulman area, this is relatively easy. And there are areas where Makar did not graze calves. For example, Maly Nimnyr, an abandoned village in the Aldan region. There Krasnodargazstroy is building another workers' settlement. Civilization is 40 kilometers away. IN Soviet time it was a settlement of geologists, and the settlers lived here, who spent their time in the camps. It could have been built closer, but the Lena highway passes nearby and there are power grids.

- In general, the specificity of this construction site is the lack of races on the linear track. Today, the design institute is considering options on how to ensure the delivery of pipes, materials and equipment. The project also provides for the construction of a road along the route, through which materials and equipment will be delivered for the construction of crane units and radio relay communication points and their further operation, - says Vladimir Novomirsky, project manager of the Krasnodargazstroy linear construction department. - In addition, you need to understand that the route lies in a difficult mountainous area, where the steepness of the slopes sometimes reaches 33 - 34 degrees.

Without additional work builders can't help it. It will take a lot to blow up, cut, smooth the slopes so that the equipment can work on them.

However, even on a relatively flat part of the route, digging trenches is not complete without drilling and blasting - there is a lot of rock and permafrost around. Stone in depth and on the surface. Interestingly, in the south of Yakutia, the gas pipeline passes through the territory of "stone rivers". These are the so-called kurums - clusters of blocks. The local landscape is densely dotted with spots of kurums. Nothing grows on them, because the stones are in motion. It is very slow, but it is enough to grind any sprout into dust.

The territory of South Yakutia is rich in forest gifts, but the builders have no time to pick mushrooms and berries. Photo: Leonid ZAKHAROV

Work is not a wolf?

Although the territory of South Yakutia is considered sparsely populated, in some places the Power of Siberia will pass through the lands of indigenous peoples. For example, in the south of the Neryungri region, the gas pipeline will touch the territory of the Iengri Evenk national nasleg.

Construction was coordinated with the indigenous people, as a result of which normal relations were established. The approach at Stroygazmontazh is as follows: to render assistance to the territories in every possible way. In particular, financial assistance was provided for the organization of celebrations dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Evenki national education. In turn, for the construction of the third rotational residential camp, the Iyengra monitoring administration of the Neryungri district provided for rent land plot within the boundaries of a rural settlement.

But if it works out with financial assistance, then with hiring, not so much. Free forest dwellers have no idea how it is to work according to the schedule.

For example, they recently assembled a team of locals to wind a rock sheet onto a pipe. The work is simple - take the clamps and fasten a canvas that looks like hard linoleum to the pipe. 15 people were hired. Few people survived longer than two or three days - they left. Then, however, a week later one worker returned. Why are you here, they ask him. I will work, he says. Where was it? Hunted - the time has come to make a reserve for the winter.

As Vladimir Novomirsky said, earlier, during the construction of the ESPO, locals were not invited to work. And now at the facility, a personnel management specialist is recruiting workers and specialists. And, if people's proposals are real and of interest, then they are discussed and specific personnel decisions are made on them.

The Power of Siberia gas pipeline will be built on time, Stroygazmontazh is sure. Work on the track is in full swing.

REFERENCE

Russia's leading oil and gas construction holding company, the SGM Group of Companies, was established in 2008. The founder and main shareholder is Arkady Rotenberg. The parent company is OOO Stroygazmontazh. The SGM Group includes such leading companies in the industry as Lengazspetsstroy, Krasnodargazstroy, Gazregion, Volgogradneftemash, Volgogaz and Neftegazkomplektmontazh.

Builders in overalls with the logos of these enterprises can be found from Kaliningrad to Sakhalin and from Ukhta to Anapa. They have almost a dozen gas pipelines behind them, the largest of which are Sakhalin-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok, Ukhta-Torzhok, and the Southern Corridor.

At the pipe welding base, 24-meter sections are welded and sent to the linear part of the gas pipeline. Photo: Semyon KOSOV

Competently

Igor Kuznetsov, Deputy CEO for the construction of facilities in Siberia and the Far East of Stroygazmontazh LLC:

We don't have impossible tasks

— This project, which is very difficult in terms of implementation and adoption of technical solutions, was prepared during the period of active imposition of sanctions against Russia. Therefore, decisions were made on import substitution, new design solutions were introduced.

The power plants were previously designed to be imported, but today it has been decided that they will be domestic. Pipes, electronics, radio communications, telemechanics - domestic. Previously, we included foreign components in production, today, in fact, the entire component base will be Russian.

Of course, this required certain efforts from the suppliers, which caused the timing of the introduction of new design solutions to be shifted. But this will not affect the delivery date of the gas pipeline.

There are no impossible tasks in life - there are people who are not able to complete the tasks assigned to them. We don't have such people.

Why is it needed?

When in 2012 Gazprom made the final decision to build a gas pipeline, opinions were divided on the feasibility of this project. Skeptics argued that the “Power of Siberia” was a meaningless undertaking: they say that huge money would be spent on construction, and to whom would we sell gas? Soon, Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) signed a 30-year agreement that provides for the supply of gas to China via the Power of Siberia gas pipeline in the amount of 38 billion cubic meters per year. This was the answer to the questions of skeptics.

In the future, it is planned to make a branch near Blagoveshchensk and connect it to the Sakhalin-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok gas pipeline. It is also planned to lengthen the "Power of Siberia" and move its "zero kilometer" 500 kilometers to the south-west - from the Chayandinskoye to the Kovykta field, which will be able to produce 35 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

One of the fundamental components of the fuel and energy sector of the Russian economy is its extensive network of industrial pipelines designed to transport gas, oil, as well as a large list of products of its processing.

Arteries of highways penetrate almost every region of the country, connecting the subjects Russian Federation into a single chain and going beyond its borders to neighboring countries, due to which the export of petroleum products is carried out.

The development of pipelines in Russia is inextricably linked with the history of the production of "black gold". At the beginning of the XX century. the share of our country in this area was almost 50%. The constant increase in oil and gas reserves required the speedy provision of their transportation, and on a large scale. Railways could no longer cope with this task. There was a need to find a cheaper and effective method. The solution to this problem was the construction of pipelines.

The first oil transportation facilities appeared at the end of the 19th century. They were intended to connect the field being developed in Baku with plants for processing the extracted raw materials. The length of the route was more than 1140 km. Already 10 years after the start of operation of this facility, in 1906, on the initiative of the brilliant chemist D.I. Mendeleev, the next grandiose project was implemented - the construction of the first product pipeline in Russia assembled from pipes with a diameter of 200 mm. Its length was more than 830 km. 15 compressor stations were built on the line to ensure its uninterrupted operation. At the time of commissioning, this pipeline, carrying out a constant supply of kerosene from Baku to Batumi, was the largest in the world. The result of its construction was the export of domestic products to foreign countries.

Construction of a product pipeline for the supply of kerosene from Baku to Batumi

Until the 40s. most large deposits were developed in the Caspian, the Caucasus and in the Volga basin. Oil pipelines were actively exploited, through which oil was transported from Grozny to Tuapse. Their total length was 650 km, and pipes with a diameter of 273 mm were used for construction. The Ishimbay-Ufa pipeline (more than 170 km) and product pipelines leading from Mangyshlak to Samara were put into operation.

Construction of the Grozny-Tuapse pipeline

The next push in the development of the Russian oil and gas industry came in the late 40s - early 50s. This was due to the active development of fields in the Volga basin and, of course, the discovery of oil deposits in Western Siberia. In the shortest possible time, trunk pipelines up to 1200 mm long were laid from the territories where the fields were developed. As a result, Siberian oil began to flow to the center of the country, as well as to the Baltic countries and fraternal states. The main artery was the highway leading from Surgut to Polotsk.

In the second half of the 20th century, the oil and gas industry in the USSR received tremendous development, and by the beginning of the third millennium, pipelines, due to their profitability and scale, had become the main means of transporting oil. The list of their benefits is quite extensive. Some of the main ones include:

delivery distance,
reliability and uninterrupted operation;
large volumes of the transported substance;
minimal losses.

In addition, pipelines allow pumping substances of a very wide viscosity range in a wide variety of climatic conditions.

Gas pipeline route from Russia to China. infographics

Installation can be carried out in almost any region. The construction is carried out with high level mechanization with automation over technological processes.

Today, Russian pipelines account for about 85% of exported petroleum products, the remaining 15% fall on railway and water transport. The largest oil pipeline operator in Russia is OAO AK Transneft. Its share in the volume of oil supplied is more than 95%, and the total length of pipelines is more than 215,000 km. A network of structures for transporting raw materials connects all industrial regions of Russia, connecting them with buyers in Europe.

The share of facilities intended for the transportation of petroleum products in Russia is more than 19.5 km. The total length of pipelines for the distillation of crude oil today is 50 thousand km.

The largest oil pipelines ensure the export of products. These include, in particular:
the Baltic oil pipeline, which passes more than 75 million tons per year;
Network "Druzhba", one of the branches of which provides the supply of crude oil to Poland, the second - to Slovakia. with a throughput capacity of up to 95 million tons per year;
Oil pipelines of the Black Sea basin - 45 million tons.

Construction of the Druzhba oil pipeline

The prospects for the development of the oil and gas industry in Russia are great. Thus, the East Siberian direction of the pipeline is currently being actively developed. This is due to the actively developing sales market in China.

1954 km built - 90.5% of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline

“The Chinese immediately said: sorry, we don’t need this gas.”

OOO "POWER OF SIBERIA", Novosibirsk

What does the company do?

Procurement and tenders

SUPPLY OF GLASS WARE

ADMINISTRATION OF THE HEAD OF THE KOMI REPUBLIC

Russian Federation, 167000, Komi Republic, Syktyvkar city, KOMMUNSTICHESKAYA STR., 9

PURCHASE OF PLATES

MUNICIPAL BUDGET PRESCHOOL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION OF THE CITY OF ROSTOV-ON-DON "KINDERGARTEN № 66"

Russian Federation, 344004, Rostov region, Rostov-on-Don city, PLEKHANOV STR., 1A

SUPPLY OF WARE FOR THE NEEDS OF GBU KO NOO "CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF GIFTED CHILDREN"

COMPETITION AGENCY OF THE KALININGRAD REGION

Russian Federation, 236007, Kaliningrad region, Kaliningrad city, D. DONSKOY STR., BUILDING 1

SUPPLY OF ACRYLIC (PLEXI) SOUVENIR PREMIUM PRODUCTS

ZATO ADMINISTRATION SEVEROMORSK

Russian Federation, 184604, Murmansk region, Severomorsk city, LOMONOSOV STR., 4

DELIVERY OF WARE

FEDERAL STATE STATE INSTITUTION "1 TEAM OF THE FEDERAL FIRE SERVICE IN THE AMUR REGION"

Russian Federation, 675000, Amur region, Blagoveshchensk, STREET OSTROVSKOGO, 152

SUPPLY OF CUTLERY AND CUTLERY FOR THE NEEDS OF THE MIA OF RUSSIA

FEDERAL STATE INSTITUTION "MAIN CENTER FOR ADMINISTRATIVE AND ECONOMIC AND TRANSPORT SUPPORT OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION"

Russian Federation, 119049, Moscow, ZHITNAYA STR., 12A

DELIVERY OF WARE

FEDERAL BUDGETARY INSTITUTION CENTER FOR REHABILITATION OF THE SOCIAL INSURANCE FUND OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION "VOLGOGRAD"

Russian Federation, 400079, Volgograd region, Volgograd, STR. SANATORNAYA, 29

SUPPLY OF TABLEWARE

FEDERAL BUDGETARY INSTITUTION CENTER FOR REHABILITATION OF THE SOCIAL INSURANCE FUND OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION "TUMANNY"

Russian Federation, 655111, Republic of Khakassia, Sorsk city, REHABILITATION CENTER "TUMANNY"

SUPPLY OF LABORATORY HELIUM DEWAR VESSEL

FEDERAL STATE UNITARY ENTERPRISE "ALL-RUSSIAN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF PHYSICAL AND TECHNICAL AND RADIO MEASUREMENTS"

Russian Federation, 141570, Moscow region, Solnechnogorsk district, Mendeleevo district, VNIIFTRI PROMZONA STR.

SUPPLY OF KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

STATE STATE INSTITUTION OF THE NOVOSIBIRSK REGION "MANAGEMENT OF THE CONTRACT SYSTEM"

Russian Federation, 630005, Novosibirsk region, Novosibirsk, STR. FRUNZE, DOM 88

Russia and China are "not in a hurry" in negotiations on gas supplies via the so-called western route.

As Andrey Denisov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to China, said in an interview with Russian journalists on Wednesday, the most important task- Settle the price issue.

“Negotiations are ongoing on a number of very large, large-scale projects. For example, a well-known project is the so-called western gas transportation route.

But here neither the Chinese side nor ours is in a hurry,” he said.

“We are confidently moving forward on other projects.

We have two more projects: this is the eastern route - the Power of Siberia gas pipeline and gas supplies to the Far East from Sakhalin.

In general, our opportunities to increase gas supplies to China are already quite large,” the diplomat said.

“For a long time, we with our Chinese partners have moved away from signing contracts on some memorable dates, as was previously accepted, or concluding big deals for some political reasons.

Neither we nor they need it. Both for us and for them, the priority is long-term stable cooperation.

This is what we need, including in the energy sector, and it can only be built on a mutually beneficial basis,” Denisov said.

“As for the western route, then, probably, really, the main thing is the price.

Gazprom: Power of Siberia gas pipeline is 93% ready

But no one is going to sacrifice their own income - the seller wants to sell more expensive, and the buyer wants to buy cheaper, this is quite natural, - the diplomat continued.

Negotiations are underway, and when we reach prices that are more acceptable to both parties, then we will sign this agreement.

It is also not so simple on the routes there - this is a high-mountain zone in Altai, this is a complex technical operation.

Deliveries to China

At present, Gazprom is building the Power of Siberia gas pipeline, through which gas from the fields of Eastern Siberia (Chayandinsky in Yakutia and Kovykta in the Irkutsk region) will be transported both to domestic Russian market and for export to China.

The project of gas supplies to the eastern regions of China is also called the "eastern route".

Gazprom's investments in the Power of Siberia gas pipeline in 2017 increased to 158.811 billion rubles. from 76.162 billion rubles.

According to the contract signed on May 21, 2014 between Gazprom and CNPC, 38 billion cubic meters will be supplied via the Eastern Route. m of gas per year for 30 years, the contract amount is $400 billion. The terms of partnership in the design, construction and operation of the transboundary zones of the gas pipeline are determined by an intergovernmental agreement dated October 13, 2014. Russian gas supplies via the Power of Siberia pipeline to China will begin on December 20, 2019.

In 2015, Gazprom and CNPC signed an agreement on the main conditions for pipeline gas supplies from Western Siberian fields to China via the "western route" (the Power of Siberia - 2 gas pipeline). Initially, it is planned to supply 30 billion cubic meters to China. m of gas per year. Also in 2015, Gazprom and CNPC signed a memorandum of understanding on the pipeline supply project natural gas to China from the Russian Far East.

] . It is planned to start deliveries of gas via it to China in 2019.

Project description

The cost of building the "Power of Siberia" is estimated at 770 billion rubles, but may exceed 1 trillion rubles (estimated from 55 billion to 70 billion dollars). "Gazprom" was going to build the "Power of Siberia" on the Chinese advance, but refused it, so as not to reduce China's price for raw materials.

It is planned to start deliveries of gas through it to China in 2019 in the amount of 5 billion cubic meters. m per year, and then grow to 38 billion cubic meters. m per year.

Story

It is planned that the development of the Chayandinskoye field will begin in 2015 [ ], and gas production - in 2018, therefore, by the end of 2017, it is planned to open the first section of the Power of Siberia GTS to Blagoveshchensk.

In the fall of 2014, Gazprom denied an earlier report that the launch of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline, through which gas would flow from Russia to China, would be shifted by two years. “With a declining economy, with a gas formula tied to the price of oil, we must find internal reserves to maintain the economic parameters of the project,” Interfax quoted Oleg Skufinsky, Deputy Minister for the Development of the Far East, as saying in November. Until March 1, 2015, the government must prepare a comprehensive plan for the construction of the pipe, there will be legislative simplifications and benefits for the project.

In August 2015, reduced [ Who?] the cost of construction on the 93-kilometer section Lensk-KS-1 Saldykelskaya doubled - from 16.58 to 7.78 billion rubles. At the same time, representatives of Gazprom said that the total amount of investments in the gas pipeline by the company will be approximately 480 billion rubles over 3 years.

In December 2015, five contracts were signed with Stroygazmontazh for the construction of gas pipeline facilities. The term for the execution of the first two contracts is from January 1, 2016 to July 31, 2018. The contractor must begin work on the third contract in April 2016, on the fourth - in May, on the fifth - in June, and complete on all three - also on July 31, 2018 of the year.

In September 2016, Gazprom and CNPC signed an EPC contract for the construction of an underwater crossing of the Power of Siberia cross-border section under the Amur River. As of December 29, 2016, Gazprom has already built 445 kilometers of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline.

Contractors

The main contender for large contracts for Power of Siberia, according to the director of Small Letters Vitaly Kryukov, remains Stroygazmontazh (SGM). Stroytransgaz in September [ When?] has already received without competition in a row worth 18.5 billion rubles. for the construction of an access road to Chayanda.
At the same time, Gazprom found itself in a twofold situation, Kryukov points out: “It is risky to play several large contracts, and many small ones threaten to lose control over their implementation.” Back at the end of 2013, Mikhail Sirotkin, director of the corporate costs department of Gazprom, in a letter (available to Vedomosti) to the chairman of the board to Alexei Miller, indicated that only a limited number of contractors would make it possible to reduce costs in the face of severe budget constraints and not disrupt work. Small contractors at tenders usually dump, so that if they win, they will increase the price of the work, Sirotkin wrote. In the current situation, it is important to strike a balance: the number of contractors will have to be increased, but within reason, says one of Gazprom's partners.

Since August 2014, more than 25 contractors have been involved in construction and design work on the Power of Siberia gas pipeline. The total amount of announced tenders amounted to more than 184 billion rubles. The tenders were ordered by companies of the Gazprom group, as well as JSC Sakhatransneftegaz. At the same time, in order to reduce costs, Gazprom attracted eight of its own gas transmission subsidiaries to the construction of the pipeline in August, reported corporate magazine concern. In September, the company agreed with pipe manufacturers on a 10% discount (Interfax data) on pipes in exchange for an advance payment.

At the beginning of 2015, Gazprom decided to change the scheme of work with contractors during the construction of the gas pipeline and break the project into many small lots, refusing to involve a general contractor.

In March 2015, the first section of the "Power of Siberia" Chayanda - Lensk with a length of 208 km was given to Stroytransgaz (owned by Gennady Timchenko) without a tender. The amount of the contract was not disclosed.

In December, Gazprom chose Stroygazmontazh without a tender (100% owned by Arkady Rotenberg) sole contractor for the construction of gas pipeline facilities in the amount of 197.7 billion rubles. (five contracts: worth 44.5 billion rubles, 47.8 billion rubles, 46.6 billion rubles, 35 billion rubles and 23.8 billion rubles, respectively.

At the end of November, Gazprom also announced the largest construction tender in its history - 822.1 km of Power of Siberia will be raffled off in one lot. Four sections of the gas pipeline worth 155.9 billion rubles were put up for tender at once; The selection of a contractor is scheduled for December 30th.

Amur GPP

The gas pipeline will also pass through the territory of the Amur Region, where, 14 km from the city of Svobodny, in October 2015, construction began on the Amur Gas Processing Plant (GPP), the largest in Russia and one of the largest in the world with a capacity of up to 49 billion cubic meters per year. It will include the world's largest helium production complex with a capacity of up to 60 million cubic meters per year. The plant will receive multicomponent gas via the Power of Siberia gas pipeline, and the gas processing plant will extract valuable components for various industries - ethane, propane, butane, pentane-hexane fraction and helium, mainly for sale to China. On June 29, 2015, the PRC began construction of the receiving part of the gas pipeline in the border city of Heihe. Work on the construction of the pipeline to Shanghai is planned to be completed in 2018.

Criticism of the project

On February 15, 2011, there were reports that the Evenks of the Tyansky Nasleg of Yakutia sent a letter to the President of Russia with a request to reconsider the planned route of the gas pipeline in order to avoid a negative impact on the traditional way of life of the local Evenks.

In this case, we, the Evenks, one of the indigenous peoples of the North, who have been living in these territories for centuries, through which the gas pipeline can pass, will suffer the most. Of course, we are not against progress, economic development, but at the same time we turn out to be the affected side: reindeer pastures and hunting grounds are confiscated from us, rivers are polluted and fish are leaving, that is, our traditional way of life - reindeer herding, hunting, fishing are under attack.

On May 31, 2011, a message was published on the website of the Republic of Sakha stating that the route of the gas pipeline was revised and would run along the ESPO oil pipeline.

According to some experts, "Gazprom's record gas contract with CNPC in terms of amount and volume was concluded on favorable terms for China, and for the Russian monopoly it may turn out to be minimally profitable". “Without an advance [from the Chinese side], the cost of construction may increase and the gas pipeline will not pay off while maintaining the existing 30% customs duty.” Critics also argue that "The Power of Siberia" will be financed mainly by tax benefits, that is, by Russian taxpayers, and if it were built by the Chinese, it would cost "three times cheaper" .

Also, according to the agreement, the price of gas was tied to the price of oil, therefore, after the fall in oil prices, profitability may be lower than the cost (especially since the payback was called into question even at high prices) .

At the same time, other analysts point to the profitability of this contract, the prices of which practically do not differ from the average European ones, and according to which Russia received a large advance payment for construction.

Notes

Gas Will Be Delivered to Japan through Vladivostok // Vladivostok Times, June 16, 2008
Gas pipeline Sila Siberia will be built at at account of Gazprom and advance (indefinite) . Interfax. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
was - 770, it became - 800 billion rubles, said in April 2015 "Gazprom" // The cost of the "Force of Siberia" may exceed 1 trillion
News of the economy. Miller: "Gazprom" connected the gas markets of Europe and Asia
Gazeta.ru, 09/07/14, "Dear "Strength Siberia""
Oil companies will unite for the construction of the "Forces of Siberia" (indefinite) . Lenta.ru. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
Gas pipeline "Yakutia - Khabarovsk - Vladivostok" received the name "Power of Siberia" // News.Ykt.Ru
Signed gas contract with China (indefinite) . Gazeta.ru. Retrieved 23 May 2014.

In the light of recent geopolitical events, Russia has begun to give preference to its eastern neighbors as its main strategic partners. The greatest interest began to represent China as the most dynamically developing state. One of the points of convergence of interests was the issue of ensuring resource supply. In this regard, a large-scale project "The Power of Siberia" was concluded, the initial duration of which is 30 years.

General information about the Power of Siberia project

The essence of the Power of Siberia project is the construction of a new gas pipeline oriented to the east. At its expense, in the future it is planned to transport gas not only to the eastern Russian regions but also export it to Asian countries. The Power of Siberia project was signed on a bilateral basis under the patronage of OAO Gazprom on the part of the Russian Federation and CNPC on the part of China.

The production capacities of the Power of Siberia pipeline are capable of supplying not only Russian and Chinese consumers with gas, but also supplying liquefied natural gas for export to Japan.

The preliminary cost of the Power of Siberia project at the first stages was 800 billion rubles, but the construction of the Power of Siberia is currently estimated at 1.1 trillion rubles. rubles. Moreover, these amounts include only the costs for the installation of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline. The total cost of the "Power of Siberia" is much higher, because. includes expenses for the construction of a gas processing plant and the improvement of strategically significant fields.

The Chayandinskoye natural gas field was chosen as the source of supplies, as the nearest one in this region. The map of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline is very extensive; the total length of the projected pipeline exceeds 3,000 km. To ensure the reliability of supplies, the gas pipeline is planned to be additionally integrated with the existing line of the Kovykta field. The blue fuel reserves of the Kovykta field are estimated at 1.5 trillion. cubic meters. Chayandinsk reserves are not so rich, they amount to 1.2 trillion. cubic meters of gas.

According to the plans, the Power of Siberia gas pipeline will run through several regions at once, its route on the map includes the Amur, Irkutsk regions and the Republic of Sakha. The program provides for the construction of a border section of the highway under the bed of the Amur River.

Technical characteristics of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline

The export capacity of the transport main is 38 billion m 3 of gas per year.
The length of the route is more than 3000 km.
The working pressure at the outlet is 9.8 MPa.
The diameter of the pipelines of the network is 1420 mm.

All pipes are covered with a special innovative material that provides high network insulation and almost completely eliminates material corrosion. In addition, in places of tectonic faults and seismic activity, pipes are used that can withstand severe deformation.

The preliminary deadlines for the completion of the construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline are set for the end of 2019.

Background to the construction of the Power of Siberia pipeline

Initially, the construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline was supposed to provide gas to the eastern regions of the country. The Power of Siberia project entered phase 2 after the signing of an agreement on the export of energy resources to China. According to him:

the Russian side undertakes to ensure the supply of 38 billion cubic meters;
the specified volume of supplies must be received annually;
the start of deliveries is scheduled for December 20, 2019;
The term of the agreement is 30 years with the possibility of extension.

The host side plans to complete the entire range of work on the project this year. The Russian company "Power of Siberia" should be completed only by the end of 2019.

The latest news in 2018 regarding the construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline is such that Gazprom, due to Western sanctions, is forced to change the previously existing practice of selecting contractors. Those companies that had experience in implementing large international projects were blacklisted. As a result, they cannot import a number of necessary equipment.

As a result, the management of Gazprom decided to abandon contracts with large contractors for the implementation of the Power of Siberia project and split the entire range of work into many lots. At present, the laying of the highway involved:

Stroygazmontazh;
Stroytransgaz;
Irkutskneftegazstroy and other companies.

It is planned to attract at least 15 firms to the construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline.

Negative feedback about the Power of Siberia project

Despite the important strategic importance, around the "Power of Siberia" often there is not the most encouraging news. So back in 2011, the leadership of Gazprom was forced to revise the previously approved route due to the appeal of the small peoples of the north living in the territory of the proposed construction.

In addition, a number of experts believe that the benefit for Russia from the "Power of Siberia" is very doubtful. China is gaining big advantages, while the profitability for Russia, given the colossal financial costs, seems to be extremely low.

However, in general, experts agree that the "Forces of Siberia" is a successful project with a high payback in the future. After all, not only China, but also India appears among the promising buyers of blue fuel. In addition, a significant increase in the Far East region is planned. Analysts believe that gasification will give a powerful impetus to the development of the region. New vacancies will appear at mining and gas processing enterprises. The presence of stable supplies of energy resources will provide an opportunity to launch new industries. On the part of the state, new startups in the Far East region will be further stimulated through budget subsidies.

Data on the Power of Siberia gas pipeline today

The construction of the "Power of Siberia" is in full swing. The degree of readiness of the highway is 93%. 2,010 km of pipes have already been welded and laid from the fields to the border with China. At present, the entire spectrum of efforts is aimed at completing the construction of an underwater gas pipeline across the Amur River, which in currently only 78% done. The underwater main consists of two branches, the first of which is completely ready, the installation of the second tunnel is underway. At the same time, a compressor station is being built, located on the border of the two states.

Generally last news today are such that by the end of 2018 the throughput capacity of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline will be 5 billion cubic meters per year. To transfer the system to full capacity, it remains to lay 2.29 thousand km of the main line.

Initially, Gazprom planned to build the Power of Siberia gas pipeline using an advance provided by the Chinese side in exchange for a future discount on gas transportation. However, in order not to reduce the cost of supplies, it was decided to independently finance the project.
The management of Gazprom decided to use only pipes in the program Russian production. They have a special internal coating that reduces energy consumption for gas transportation by reducing friction.
In order to come up with a name for the project, a competition was held, according to the results of which the choice fell on the "Power of Siberia".

Additional Information

The Power of Siberia is a future common gas transmission system (GTS) for two gas production centers: Irkutsk (based on the Kovykta field, with gas reserves of 1.5 trillion cubic meters) and Yakutsk (based on the Chayandinskoye field, 1.2 trillion cubic meters). m of gas). From these centers, gas will be transported through Khabarovsk to Vladivostok for domestic consumption, as well as for export to the Asia-Pacific countries. The project is being implemented by OAO Gazprom.

The route of the "Powers of Siberia" will pass along the route of the operating main oil pipeline "Eastern Siberia - the Pacific Ocean" (ESPO).

The first stage of the Power of Siberia GTS will be the Yakutia - Khabarovsk - Vladivostok gas pipeline, which is scheduled to be put into operation by the end of 2017. At the second stage, the gas pipeline will connect the Irkutsk and Yakutsk gas production centers.

The length of the Power of Siberia GTS will be about 4,000 km, of which the Yakutia-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok gas pipeline will account for about 3,200 km, and the Irkutsk Region-Yakutia gas pipeline - about 800 km. Pipe diameter -1420 mm, operating pressure - 9.8 MPa (100 atm.), Capacity - 61 billion cubic meters. m of gas per year.

In October 2012, President Vladimir Putin instructed Gazprom to develop a gas pipeline project from the Chayandinskoye field to Vladivostok. The cost of the pipeline was estimated at more than 1 trillion rubles, and it was planned to complete it by 2017.

Partially, the pipeline will run inside the integrated corridor together with the second part of the Eastern Siberia - Pacific Ocean oil pipeline. Together, these pipelines will feed a projected liquefied natural gas plant that will produce LNG for export to Japan and feedstock to a projected petrochemical complex in Primorsky Krai.

In May 2014, the project was given a new impetus in connection with the signing of a 30-year contract for gas supplies to China between Gazprom and CNPC. According to the contract, 38 billion cubic meters of gas should be supplied per year. It is also planned to connect the gas pipeline to the Kovykta field. The total amount of the contract is $400 billion. At the same time, as reported, Gazprom will receive an advance payment from CNPC for the construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline in the amount of $25 billion.

It is planned that the development of the Chayandinskoye field will begin in 2015, and gas production - in 2018, so by the end of 2017 it is planned to open the first section of the Power of Siberia GTS to Blagoveshchensk.

The Commission for the Development of the Fuel and Energy Complex under the President of Russia will consider the issue of creating a consortium of companies in the oil and gas sector for the construction of pipelines of the Eastern Gas Program. In this regard, the participation of Rosneft is possible in the construction of the Power of Siberia pipeline.

The total length of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline is about 4,500 km with 9 compressor stations with a capacity of more than 1,200 MW. About when the work will be completed, as well as about the future plans of the largest energy company - in an interview with Vitaly Markelov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Gazprom.

– Vitaly Anatolyevich, how much gas and liquid hydrocarbons did Gazprom produce last year?

– In 2017, actual production amounted to 471 billion m³ of gas, 15.9 million tons of gas condensate and 40.9 million tons of oil (including Gazprom Neft indicators).

– What are the plans for the current year?

– In 2016 and early 2017, we commissioned additional capacities, increasing the maximum daily production capacity Bovanenkovskoye field from 218 million m³ to 264 million m³. Currently, Unit 1 and Unit 2 (1st and 2nd modules) with a total capacity of 90 bcm per year are in operation at the field. The operating well stock as of the beginning of 2018 is 404 units. Last year, the Bovanenkovskoye field produced 82.8 bcm of gas.

In 2018, it is planned to commission GTP-3 with a capacity of 30 billion m³ annually, BCS (stage I) at GTP-3 with a capacity of 125 MW and 83 wells. In total, three gas fields will operate on the Cenomanian-Aptian deposits of the Bovanenkovskoye oil and gas condensate field, the total annual design capacity of which will be 115 billion m³ of gas with reaching the specified production level in 2022.

The commissioning of the Cenomanian-Aptian deposits of the Kharasaveyskoye field is planned for 2024.

– Tell us about the construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline. How long will it take to reach design capacity?

– In the summer of 2017, Gazprom andChina's largest oil and gas company CNPCsigned an additional agreement to the contract providing for the start of natural gas supply to China's gas transmission system from December 20, 2019. The Power of Siberia gas pipeline will become the main pipeline for the Yakutsk and Irkutsk gas production centers to transport gas to Russian and Chinese consumers. The total length of the linear part of the main gas pipeline for full development is about 4,500 km with 9 compressor stations with a capacity of more than 1,200 MW.

At the first stage, by the end of 2019, a section of the main gas pipeline from the Chayandinskoye oil and gas condensate field to the border with China with a length of 2,156.1 km and a Zeyskaya compressor station with a capacity of 128 MW will be built. The construction of 7 compressor stations with a capacity of 481 MW will continue until 2022. At the second stage, the Yakutsk gas production center will be connected to the Irkutsk gas production center (803.5 km, 1 compressor station with a capacity of 48 MW). At the third stage, gas transmission capacities will be expanded in the section from the Chayandinskoye oil and gas condensate field to Blagoveshchensk (1,491.45 km, 577 MW).

As of March 1, 2018, 1,859.6 km of the gas pipeline were welded, more than 1,580.1 km were laid in a trench and backfilled, which is about 73% of the length of the gas pipeline in the section from the Chayandinskoye field to the border with China. By the end of this year, it is planned to fully complete the construction of the gas pipeline in this section. For 2019, only the elimination of technological gaps is planned after testing.

At the end of 2017, the construction of the Zeyskaya compressor station began, which is one of the unique facilities of the gas transmission system under construction. Its commissioning next year will make it possible to ensure the specified parameters of commercial gas during the first deliveries to China, and in the future to maintain technological process for gas processing at the Amur GPP.

– What are the plans for the development of the Chayandinskoye and Kovykta deposits?

– The uniqueness of these fields is determined not only by the huge reserves of gas, oil and condensate, but also by the multicomponent composition of the gas containing valuable fractions for gas processing industries, including large reserves of helium.

The recoverable reserves of the Chayandinskoye field in terms of industrial categories as of the beginning of the year amount to 1.2 trillion m³ of gas, 17.6 million tons of condensate, 43.9 million tons of oil and 7.4 billion m³ of helium.

The new Arctic port of Sabetta became the leader in terms of cargo turnover growth >>

The start of gas production at the Chayandinskoye field is scheduled for the end of 2019. The deposit will reach its design capacity in the 4th year of development. The maximum level of annual production of free gas will be 25 billion m³ (stable condensate - 404,000 tons per year, oil - 3.27 million tons per year) with a fund of producing gas wells of 335 units and a period of constant production of 20 years.

To date, 97 gas wells and 11 oil rim wells have been completed. Completed construction (development) of 23 gas wells and 11 wells on the oil rim. This year, it is planned to finish drilling 39 gas wells and complete the construction of 55 gas wells.

The current recoverable reserves of the Kovykta field, taking into account an insignificant part of the unallocated fund in terms of the sum of industrial categories, as of the beginning of the year, amount to 2.72 trillion m³ of gas, 91.1 million tons of condensate and 7.7 billion m³ of helium.

The commissioning of the Kovykta gas condensate field with gas supply to the main pipeline is expected from the end of 2022. The deposit will reach its design capacity in the 3rd year of development. The design capacity is 25 billion m³ of gas and 1.4 million tons of condensate per year with 514 production wells for the entire period of development. Currently, the Kovykta gas condensate field is undergoing a period of pilot development (PID). As part of the pilot project, studies of the production capabilities of the existing stock of production wells are being carried out.

Rosneft commissioned a new oil and gas production cluster >>

Since 2013, the Kovykta gas and condensate field has been testing a pilot membrane plant for the separation of helium from high-pressure natural gas. The results of testing this technology became the basis for the design of industrial membrane plants for the extraction of helium from natural gas of the Chayandinskoye field.

– What are the plans for the Tambey Group?

– At present, geological exploration work continues at the fields of the Tambey group, including at the Jura oil and gas complex. In 2017, in order to study the Jurassic deposits, exploration projects were formed for additional exploration of areas, the implementation of which is planned from 2020. In 2018, it is planned to complete the construction of four exploratory wells.

The current recoverable hydrocarbon reserves of the Tambey group fields in terms of the sum of industrial categories, taking into account an insignificant part of the unallocated fund, as of the beginning of 2018, amount to 7.7 trillion m³ of gas, 599.2 million tons of condensate and 29.7 million tons of oil.

In accordance with the best international practices, it is advisable to implement such technologically complex and capital-intensive projects with the involvement of partner companies.

In this regard, in May last year, Gazprom signed a Memorandum of Intent with CJSC RusGazDobycha, which includes consideration of issues of cooperation in the implementation of projects for production, transportation, gas processing and gas chemistry based on reserves and resources of gas and gas condensate fields Tambey cluster (North Tambeyskoye, West Tambeyskoye and Tassiyskoye).

When choosing a partner for implementation this project"Gazprom" proceeded from the need to prioritize the monetization of wet gas reserves of the Tambey cluster fields, the deep processing of the components of which will increase the efficiency of their development by obtaining products with high added value. At present, the parties have organized the elaboration of issues related to the implementation of the joint project.

– Tell us about the project for the development of the Parusovoye, Severo-Parusovoye and Semakovskoye fields.

– In September 2016, we signed with CJSC RusGazDobycha the “Basic Agreement on the Terms and Conditions for the Implementation of a Joint Project for the Development and Development of the Parusovoye, Severo-Parusovoye and Semakovskoye Fields in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug”, and in April 2017 we created joint venture LLC "RusGazAlliance" The project includes the extraction, transportation and sale of natural gas from the fields.

The Belkomur highway will provide an opportunity to implement 40 major investment projects >>

In addition, in May last year, we signed a Memorandum of Intent with CJSC RusGazDobycha for the implementation of gas chemical production projects based on the reserves and resources of the Achimov and Valanginian deposits of the Nadym-Pur-Taz region, as well as the production and processing of gas and gas condensate from the fields of the Tambey cluster .

As part of the fulfillment of the terms of the Memorandum, RusGazAlliance LLC organized work on the preparation of a comprehensive pre-investment study (development of deposits and creation of transport infrastructure) and a feasibility study for these projects. In addition, there will be an assessment economic feasibility creating a joint venture.

Complex stocks

– How much gas and condensate was produced in 2017 from the Achimov deposits? What are the plans for 2018? When is it planned to put into operation the 3rd, 4th and 5th sections? What is the maximum volume of gas and liquid hydrocarbons planned to be produced from the Achimov deposits?

– Production from the Achimov deposits in 2017 amounted to 9.3 billion m³ of gas, 4.2 million tons of gas condensate. The plan for 2018 is formed in the amount of 9 billion m³ of gas and 4 million tons of gas condensate. Commissioning of the 4th and 5th Achimov blocks is planned for 2020, the 3rd block - in 2028. The maximum volume of gas production from the Achimov deposits can be 39.7 billion m³ per year (2034) and condensate - 10.894 million tons per year (2028).

– How much gas was produced at the Astrakhan field last year? What are the prospects for its development?

– In 2017, actual gas production amounted to 10.8 bcm. For this year, the gas production plan has been formed in the amount of 11.2 billion m³. Currently, production is held back at current levels mainly due to environmental constraints and the need to use costly technologies required due to the high sulfur content of the deposit's resources. In order to increase production volumes, we are exploring the possibility of developing the Astrakhanskoye field using the technology of acid gas injection into the reservoir, which will significantly reduce the amount of harmful emissions and eliminate problems associated with the storage and sale of illiquid associated sulfur.

– How much CBM was produced in 2017? What are the prospects for this project?

– Last year, we continued to implement a project for the extraction of coal-bed methane in Kuzbass. As a result of the pilot operation of the Naryksko-Ostashkinskoye methane-coal field, 6.4 million m³ of gas was produced.

Currently, preparations have begun at the field for the construction of three systems of multilateral exploration wells, which aim not only to increase reserves of higher industrial categories, but also to demonstrate the production capabilities of wells of this type with subsequent justification of investments in the project based on the results of their trial operation.

SIBUR has modernized the facilities of the Yuzhno-Balyksky GPP >>

In order to prepare the resource base in order to ensure an increase in the level of regional gasification and the creation of local power generating capacities, planning of geological exploration work on the Tutuyasskaya highly promising area near the city of Mezhdurechensk continued. At the same time, in order to increase the efficiency of the project, work is being actively carried out to attract foreign investor companies to participate in the project on various terms.

– What are the prospects for the development of Turonian deposits?

– Currently, pilot development of the Turonian gas deposit of the Yuzhno-Russkoye field is underway. In 2017, more than 175 million m³ of gas was produced from Turon. At the same time, preparations are underway for the commercial development of the Yuzhno-Russkoye field deposit for full development with the commissioning of the first production wells at the end of 2019.

According to the development project document approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation in 2017, the maximum annual gas production from the Turonian deposit will be up to 9 billion m³ in 2023. At the same time, the profitability of the project for the extraction of hard-to-recover gas reserves from the Turonian deposit will be increased through the use of the existing onshore infrastructure of the Cenomanian gas field of the Yuzhno-Russkoye field.

In the near future, it is also planned to start pilot development of the Turonian gas deposit of the Zapolyarnoye field.

– Does Gazprom plan to develop gas hydrates?

– In 2017, Gazprom developed and approved the Program for the Development of Unconventional and Hard-to-Recover Gas Resources. The program contains an assessment of the resource base, an analysis of existing and promising production technologies, as well as a rationale for priority areas and the most promising areas for the study and production of gas from unconventional sources, including gas hydrate accumulations.

Given the huge resource potential of gas hydrates in the continental part of Russia ( more than 300 trillion m³ of gas in the north of Eastern and Western Siberia) and the shelf zone (more than 140 trillion m³ in the Bering, Black and Okhotsk Seas), in the near future, research will continue to develop technologies for studying hydrate-saturated rocks, studying potential gas hydrate deposits in areas of permafrost carrying out exploration work at the fields in the north of Western Siberia and the study of bottom accumulations of gas hydrates.

The next step is the creation and testing of gas production technologies at special scientific test sites and the development of a set of regulatory and methodological documentation that regulates the development of hydrated gas.

Shelf

– When will the development of deposits in the Ob and Taz bays begin?

– The development of the fields in the Ob and Taz bays is planned to begin with the commissioning of the largest field in terms of reserves in this cluster, the Kamennomysskoye Sea. In the future, it is planned to begin the development of Severo-Kamennomysskoye. For these deposits, the government bodies design technological documents for development.

We are currently designing the development of the Kamennomysskoe Sea field. For its development, it is planned to build and install hydraulic structures in the water area of the field, such as an ice-resistant platform and ice-resistant block conductors. We plan to build them at domestic enterprises.

– Do foreign sanctions affect the timing of the development of these fields?

– In our opinion, foreign sanctions do not affect the terms of development of fields in the Ob and Taz Bays.

– What are the plans for production in the North Sea?

– In accordance with the main asset swap agreement dated 23 December 2013 between Gazprom and Wintershall Holding GmbH, Gazprom EP International B.V. acquired a 50% stake in Wintershall Noordsee B.V. (WINZ).

WINZ holds interests in 51 offshore licenses in the North Sea, of which 41 are in the Dutch sector, six in the British sector and four in the Danish sector. Today, hydrocarbon production is carried out at 8 projects where VINZ is the operator, and at 5 projects with VINZ equity participation. According to the plan for 2018, 707 million m³ of gas, 59,400 tons of oil and 3,800 tons of condensate are to be produced.

Since the fields are classified as small, the VINZ work program is designed in such a way as to ensure the stability of production indicators in the medium term and the replenishment of the resource base. At the same time, in terms of geological exploration, priority is given to projects around the existing infrastructure.

Construction of an international marine terminal near Kaliningrad began >>

Production volumes in the North Sea are relatively small, but the purpose of our participation in these projects is somewhat different. North Sea by far for most foreign companies is, first of all, a testing ground for new technologies in the field of offshore field development, a kind of personnel school for almost all aspects of project implementation. In addition, the highest requirements and standards in the field of occupational health and environmental safety are applied there - an extremely important experience for us. Participation in projects in the North Sea gives us access to this experience and, therefore, the possibility of applying it to our projects in other regions and countries.

– Tell us about the prospects for the development of the Central field in the Caspian Sea.

- The Tsentralnoye field, which belongs to the category of large ones, is located in the water area of the Middle Caspian, 140 km from the coast. The sea depth in the area of the deposit is 400–500 m.

For the joint development of hydrocarbon resources of the geological structure "Central" from the Russian side, by order of the Government, TsentrKaspneftegaz LLC (CKNG) with a participation interest of PJSC "LUKoil" and PJSC "Gazprom" - 50%, from the Kazakh side - JSC NC "KazMunayGas" (KMG).

In 2013, a joint venture between CKNG and KMG, OOO " Oil and Gas Company Central" with equal participation (50:50) of each of the parties.

In accordance with the terms of the license for the right to use the subsoil of the Tsentralnoye field, obtained by Tsentralnaya Oil and Gas Company LLC in September 2016, it is required to drill at least one prospecting and appraisal well before 2022. In the course of preparation for development, a project of prospecting and appraisal work will be developed and engineering and geological surveys will be carried out in the area of the deposit.

Based on the results of the stage of geological study of the subsoil, a recalculation of hydrocarbon reserves will be performed and a decision will be made on the further implementation of the project.

– Tell us about the work of Gazprom on the shelf of Sakhalin Island.

– On the continental shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk, PJSC Gazprom implements projects for the development of the Kirinskoye and Yuzhno-Kirinskoye fields, which are part of the Sakhalin-3 project.

The Kirinskoye field is located on the continental shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk, 29 km off the coast of the northeastern part of Sakhalin Island. The sea depth within the water area of the field is 85–95 m. As of the beginning of 2018, the recoverable reserves of the field amount to 108.3 billion m³ of gas and 13.4 million tons of condensate. The design level of gas production from the Kirinskoye gas condensate field is 5.5 billion m³ per year and is provided by the operating stock of 7 wells.

The Kirinskoye gas condensate field was put into operation in 2013 (commercial development - in 2014). The field provides gas production in the amount of 4.5 million m³ per day and gas condensate - 0.750 thousand tons per day. Marketable gas is supplied to the Sakhalin–Khabarovsk–Vladivostok gas pipeline, gas condensate to the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company oil pipeline. The main consumers of gas from the Kirinskoye gas condensate field are the north of the Sakhalin Region and the Primorsky Territory.

Northern latitudinal course to be >>

For the first time in the Russian Federation, technologies for underwater hydrocarbon production were used in the development of the field. In 2017, the construction of two production wells at the field was completed, which was carried out by semi-submersible floating drilling rigs "Polyarnaya Zvezda" and "Northern Lights". Production drilling at the field has been completed (7 production wells have been built).

At present, two wells are connected to the gas gathering manifold and are successfully operating. Work to expand the development of the Kirinskoye field (including the construction of the second line of the offshore gas gathering manifold, connection and commissioning of five production wells) will be completed before the end of 2020.

– When is it planned to commission the Yuzhno-Kirinskoye field?

– The Yuzhno-Kirinskoye field was discovered by PJSC Gazprom in 2010, in the course of geological exploration within the Kirinsky prospective subsoil area. The field is located on the shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk, 58 km east of the coast of Sakhalin Island, the sea depth in the area of the field is 110–320 m.

The recoverable reserves of the field in terms of the sum of industrial categories as of the beginning of 2018 amounted to 711.2 billion m³ of gas, 111.5 million tons of gas condensate. 2 exploratory and 7 exploration wells were drilled at the field. In March of this year, at a meeting expert commission for conducting state expertise operational changes in hydrocarbon reserves at the Yuzhno-Kirinskoye field Federal state-financed organization The "State Commission for Mineral Reserves" (GKZ) agreed on reserves in category C1 + C2 - 814.46 billion m³ of gas and 199.78 million tons of gas condensate.

Four artificial islands to be created in the Barents Sea >>

The design level of gas production at the Yuzhno-Kirinskoye field will be 21 billion m³ and is provided by the operating well stock of 37 wells. The commissioning of the field is scheduled for 2023. The start of drilling of production wells is planned for the current year using the company's own semi-submersible drilling rigs "Polyarnaya Zvezda" and "Northern Lights".

I also want to remind you that in 2016, as a result of drilling and testing exploration well At the Yuzhno-Lunskaya structure of the Kirinsky prospect, a significant inflow of natural gas and gas condensate was obtained. In 2017, the GKZ reviewed and adopted the calculation of the reserves of the new Yuzhno-Lunskoye field, which is the basis for putting the reserves on the state balance sheet and allows you to officially announce the discovery of the field. The reserves of the field are calculated in category C1 and amount to 48.9 billion m³ of gas and 7.7 million tons of condensate.

Gas lines

– Tell us about the implementation of the Ukhta-Torzhok-2 project.

– In order to ensure the supply of gas to Russian consumers and to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, PJSC Gazprom is developing gas transmission capacities from Yamal to the coast of the Baltic Sea.

The implementation of the investment project "Ukhta–Torzhok-2 nitka (Yamal) gas pipeline system" was launched in 2012. Until 2015, work was carried out preparatory period for the preparation of permits. Construction and installation work began in 2015.

The project provides for the construction and commissioning of the second string of the gas pipeline with a total length of 970 km and seven compressor stations with a total capacity of 625 MW. In 2017, 571.4 km of the gas pipeline was put into operation. This year, work continues on the construction of a gas pipeline and compressor stations.

Work on the construction of the linear part of the main gas pipeline is being carried out in accordance with the schedule and will be completed by the end of the year. As of March 1, 2018, 917 km of the gas pipeline were welded, 830.4 km of the gas pipeline, which is about 85% of its length, was completed with a full range of laying works.

In 2018, it is planned to complete the construction and put into operation the remaining 406.8 km of the linear part of the main gas pipeline. Next year, it is planned to put into operation two compressor stations with a capacity of 200 MW (the Novoprivodinskaya compressor station and the Novoyubileinaya compressor station). And in 2020 - five compressor stations with a total capacity of 425 MW (Sosnogorskaya, Novosindorskaya, Novokunskaya, Novourdomskaya, Novonyuksenitskaya).

Foreign projects

– How much gas did Gazprom produce in Vietnam in 2017? What are your plans for 2018 and beyond?

– Production of natural gas and gas condensate in Vietnam is carried out at the Moc Tinh and Hai Thach fields within blocks No. 05-2, No. 05-3 in the southern part Vietnamese shelf. The project for the development of these fields is being implemented under production sharing agreements (PSA), which the Gazprom group, represented by Gazprom EP International, joined in July 2013 with a 49% share in accordance with an agreement signed a year earlier with Petrovietnam Oil and Gas Company on the assignment of shares in these PSAs. The remaining 51% belong to Petrovietnam KNG.

Seven reasons for the high efficiency of Nord Stream 2 development >>

In 2016, gas production under the project reached the design "shelf" and amounts to 2 billion m³ annually. Accordingly, in 2017, natural gas production amounted to 2 billion m³, and condensate - 465,900 tons. As of the beginning of this year, cumulative production amounted to 8 billion m³ of gas and 1.903 million tons of condensate. The share of supplied gas in the total volume of natural gas produced in Vietnam in 2017 was 20.8%.

In the coming years, gas production under the project is expected to be at the level of 2 billion m³ per year, condensate production this year is planned in the amount of 359,400 tons (of which the share of the Gazprom group will be 815 million m³ of gas and 88,400 tons of condensate). Gas is supplied to consumers in the south of Vietnam via the Nam Con Son-1 gas pipeline, and condensate is transported to a floating oil storage facility.

– What are the plans for Uzbekistan?

- Cooperation between Gazprom and JSC Uzbekneftegaz has been consistently developing since 2003. Since 2004, the Gazprom group, together with JSC Uzbekneftegaz, has been successfully implementing a project for the additional development of the Shakhpakhty field on the terms of the PSA. The PSA expires in 2019, and the parties came to a mutual decision that, in accordance with the terms of the PSA and the legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, its validity should be extended for 5 years, until 2024.

In addition, in the course of geological exploration on June 22, 2009, the Dzhel gas condensate field was discovered at the Shakhpakhty block. The field's approved reserves are 6.4 bcm of free gas and 76,000 tons of recoverable condensate. The Dzhel field is located within the Shakhpakhty investment block on the Ustyurt plateau, 16 km from the Shakhpakhty field.

Nuclear-powered icebreaker sailed the first ship with anthracite in the Arctic >>

In the near future, the task is to start the development of the Dzhel field on the terms of the PSA, for which the parties must make every effort to agree on the terms of the agreement acceptable to all participants. The previous year was marked by the signing of several agreements, including the joint conduct of geological exploration and organization of engineering and innovation work. The company "Gazprom EP International" is carrying out a set of works on a pre-investment study of the blocks proposed by the Uzbek side.

In order to expand areas of cooperation and identify new prospects, in June 2017, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Gazprom and Uzbekneftegaz signed an Agreement on strategic cooperation, which will become the basis for the long-term development of mutually beneficial relations between Gazprom and Uzbekneftegaz a range of areas, including exploring opportunities for joint implementation of projects in the exploration and production sector, in the field of underground gas storage, reconstruction, modernization and construction of the pipeline system of Uzbekistan, as well as training and advanced training, scientific and technical cooperation, etc.

– What are the job prospects in Algeria?

- First of all, it should be noted that this year the Gazprom Group will continue to implement a joint project for the exploration and development of hydrocarbon deposits at the El Assel contract area in Algeria, the participants of which are Sonatrak AGNK with a 51% share and Gazprom EP International " with a share of 49%.

After the successful completion of the exploration stage, as a result of which 4 fields were discovered and prepared for development: 2 oil fields (Zemle Er-Rekkeb, ZER, and Northern Land Er-Rekkeb, ZERN) and 2 gas condensate fields (Rurd-Saya, RSH, and Northern Rurd-Saya, RSHN), the issue of making a decision on the transition to their development is on the agenda.

In 2017, the efforts of the parties were focused on the analysis possible ways optimization of geological, technical and technological components of development.

Interviewed by Sergey Pravosudov

Articles you may be interested in:

"Turkish stream" Bazhenov suite Descent nuclear icebreaker"Arctic" Nuclear reactors for icebreakers