TOMSKIY VEKTOR

Four years back Sobolinoye, ZAO had just a small 6 square kilometer license area with 2.1 mln tons oil reserves. Company’s production at that time was as low as 87 thousand tons of oil, even less than license allowable. This gap was caused by underfinancing of drilling. However, the situation changed dramatically in late 2004. Oil and Gas Company RussNeft formidable financing in the Tomsk North provided small producing businesses with new perspectives and enforced large-scale development of the fields.

Story with continuation

The Sobolinoye field was discovered 40 years ago. In 1966 a geological and exploratory expedition headed by Yuriy Durnev started studying areas of the Vasyuganskiye bog which had not been explored before. Seismographic observation prompted the geologists to launch a drilling of deep exploratory wells. Their expectations were right; well # 171 gave first oil. It was mapped however its exploration did not take place. The country was interested in major fields like the Samotlor. The Sobolinoye with dramatically fewer oil reserves was left for later.

Field development was launched only in 1993. However it has been performed rather slowly due to a crucial shift of economic relations and lack of governmental support. Eventually oil industry workers have not been able to reach even rather modest economic targets. Turn for the better took place in 2004 when Oil and Gas Company RussNeft purchased 7 assets in the Tomsk area at a time. These were license areas Somovskiy (the Bolotnoye oil field), Soboliniy (the Gurarinskoye and Yasnoye oil fields), and Southern Pudinskiy (the Southern Tabaganskoye, Solonovskoye, Smolyanoye, Kuliginskoye oil fields). Moreover, RussNeft purchased a range of oil fields with registered enterprises – Duklinskoye, OOO, Stolbooye, OOO, Poselkovoye, OOO, Grushevoye, OOO, Fedyushkinskoye, OOO providing the company with net effective pay increase up to 28 mln tons of oil. To increase management efficiency these OOOs have been passed over to the subsidiary Mokhtikneft, ZAO situated in Nizhnevartovsk. Meanwhile Sobolinoye, ZAO focused on development of Southern group of fields. The enterprise became the only company’s operator performing a full range of works from geological exploration to field development.

- Sobolinoye Group integration to Oil and Gas Company RussNeft was a success,- general director of Sobolinoye, ZAO Valeriy Gabrielyan says. Of course we face certain difficulties which are the result of problems with the assets arisen in the past but the outcome of the last years of operation suggest the development strategy has been right.

Stake on Exploration

Today Sobolinoye, ZAO has commercial production at five fields – Sobolinoye, Gurarinskoye, Boltnoye, Kuliginskoye and Southern-Tabaganskoye. In the last two years the company produced over 1 mln ton of oil. However, these fields reached a 60% point of depletion and further growth slowed down. At that, the company staked on exploration.
- A geological department at a company is designed to reach two essential goals. Say to effectively develop oil field and procure a continuous growth of crude reserves, - says Mr. Gabrielyan. It is particularly relevant for our company. During oncoming years it is necessary to extend exploration and to launch 6 new oil fields into operation at the same time so that the production is stabilized. We have already started working on that. Last year alone 133 mln rubles was allocated to exploration. With this funding 550 2D seismic line kilometers have been studied at the Tavalginskaya, Boltnaya, Gurarinskaya and Marevaya areas. Re-entry, recreation and production test have been performed at three exploratory well, 156 P well test of Olympic diameter has been performed. The measures taken provided a 1.6 mln ton growth of C2 reserves then and have added another 600 thousand tons this year.

In close cooperation with Institute of geology, oil and gas, Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences headed by Aleksey Kantorovich the perspectives of three license areas have been estimated and enterprise’s program for development up to 2010 has been adopted. The program focuses on Southern Pudinsk fields development. In coming years the company is to do 435 line kilometers of 2D and 52 square kilometers of 3D seismic exploration, to drill 13 wells for over 36 line kilometers in total and to increase C1 reserves by 7 mln tons and C2 reserves by 4.5 mln tons. The development of this vast area with neither infrastructure nor roads will require formidable investment. However, the management of the company believes the costs will pay off threefold.

- We fulfilled a vast number of preparatory works, - Valeriy Gabrielyan says. – And a few days ago Oil and Gas Company RussNeft has revised and adopted a prospecting program for 2008-2009. In 2008 alone a 1 bln ruble investment will be made under the program. The development program will allow to amount company’s oil production up to 350-400 thousand tons per year and prepare new facilities for further company’s development.

Support base

Along with operation at new areas the company has been actively developing infrastructure at already producing fields. In 2006 the investment has amounted to 138 mln rubels. 2 block water injection stations at the Gurarinskoye and Sobolinoye oil fields, a power line, a water intake, canalization and water treatment facilities have been constructed and launched into operation, reparation works at the oil treatment plant and crude oil delivery and acceptance point have been fulfilled, a gas pipeline for associated gas and dozens of intra-field roads have been constructed. All company’s energy intensive economy is provided with own electrical power.

- To save diesel in 2007 a local electric station was constructed. It contains 6 gas piston modules Caterpillar with 3.5 megawatt capacity, driven by associated gas, - Sobolinoye, ZAO senior power engineer Sergey Bushlanov explains. 2 of them are in operation. The complex will start operating in full force this July.

It is noteworthy that repair and construction works are fulfilled by local subcontractors. This allows to minimize costs, bring the deadlines of works nearer and create jobs in the Nothern parts of the Tomsk region. The company is particularly focused on high technologies implementation. In this context on special Sobolinoye, ZAO order a bedstead for well 181P – a unique for the country – was made at the Gugarinskoye field. The results of it surpassed all expectations – additional annual production has amounted up to 4330 tons.

The company not only pays much attention to the development of industrial complex and field base but also to social life and setting up comfortable conditions for both work and life of rotation workers. A residential complex has been constructed and settled at the Sobolinoye. It is really similar to a taiga residence. There are showers, a dinning faciliy, a gym, billiards in the building. The employees live in comfortable double or triple rooms. The company intends to go further. Still more prospecting and geological and engineering operations are scheduled for this year. It is planned to gain 13 thousand additional tons of oil, to increase C1 reserves up to 1.85 mln tons and C2 reserves – 1.8 mln tons. The enterprise is to approve project documentation for 6 new oil fields and make a 176 mln ruble investment.

People is main asset

The enterprise’s operation in the region is not limited to reaching production goals. Sobolinoye, ZAO performs a range of welfare programs to support its employees and members of their families. Company’s workers and their children regularly spend their holidays at the Black sea in recreation camps and resorts. Nearly 200 people have been financially boosted for health  improvement and got 9 thousand rubles in addition to their allowance. Around 2.3 mln rubles was allocated to employees’ housing conditions improvement – purchasing and construction of flats. The company also gives money compensation for employees’ children education at colleges. Under the collective agreement 10 mln rubles has been allocated to social benefits and compensations – 39 thousand for each employee. The enterprise sends 3 percent of salary to non-governmental retirement fund. As a result after their retirement the employees will have higher pension.

Sobolinoye, ZAO proves to be a responsible member of society fulfilling its obligations before the employees and population of the territories of its branches’ operation.

- The company forms annual contracts with the administrations of Parabelsk and  Kargasoksk regions, says Valeriy Gabrielyan. – We often have dialogues with municipality management and participate in the process of social and economic issues as much as possible. Particularly we provide help for public services with fuel, we have purchased sports equipment for a sports complex in Kargask, we give a financial support to veterans as well. During the last two years 3.3 mln rubles has been allocated as welfare payment.

In addition to this investment the company accurately pays land lease taxes for the territories where Sobolinoye, ZAO operates. It pays taxes on personal income for company’s employees as well. Cooperation agreements is an effective tool of Sobolinoye, ZAO – local authorities partnership. Upon these agreements financial support is provided for housing and social facilities construction, ecological programs performance, support for the disadvantaged, sports promotion, cultural events.