Surgutneftegas boosts oil production at Bazhen 60% in 2013
MOSCOW. Feb 6 (Interfax) - Surgutneftegas increased oil production at Bashenov suite deposits by 60% last year as compared with 2012 to 548,000 tonnes, the company's senior geologist, Vyacheslav Chirkov, said during a meeting devoted to issues involved in the creation of a center for the study and development of nontraditional kinds and sources of raw hydrocarbons under the Natural Resources Ministry.
Commenting on these figures, Chirkov said, "What did this give the company? It gave the company losses of three billion rubles."
Surgutneftegas is interested in developing Bazhen due to the fact that it represents a promising avenue for the future, he said. "The company is moving this way because the economics generally gravitate toward this project, and it is promising. It is a prospect for the future," he said.
Chirkov said that Surgutneftegas is now producing Bazhenov suite oil at ten deposits, and plans before 2018 to increase the number of deposits to 13 and to increase production almost by half from the start of Bazhenov suite production to 5.720 million tonnes.
According to the company's investment program, in 2014-2018 the plan is to drill 79 exploratory-prospecting wells, deepen 26 production wells, conduct 2D seismic studies over 789 running km and 3D work over an area covering more than 2,500 square km
Also, Chirkov said, the company awaits changes to the law that provide tax breaks for developing Bazhen, if the working of resources at such assets is 3%. "It's not fair that those companies that were not working on the development of Bazhen earlier are now in the forefront" and are receiving breaks," he said. "And he who worked [on developing Bazhen] [to his own] detriment, today is receiving nothing as a result. But the state understood this, we're waiting at least for changes to the law [as regards] the development of Bazhen, that is, this 3% ought to be increased," Chirkov said.
