Gazprom Neft has, for the first time, presented its technologies and digital projects at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) — a major international industry event in the United Arab Emirates — putting forward innovative proprietary developments that might be of interest to the Middle East market.*
These projects have been developed by Gazprom Neft in partnership with leading Russian R&D production companies. The solutions on offer make it possible to bring hard-to-recover reserves into production, as well as increasing efficiency at existing assets.
One such service is the company’s “Integrated development service” for hard-to-recover reserves — a unique technological solution for geological prospecting, development, well-drilling and enhanced oil recovery (EOR).
The company’s CyberGRP digital simulator, developed by the company in conjunction with the MIPT Engineering Centre, is designed to improve efficiency in oil production — this Russian technology being
Exhibitors were also given an insight into superhard materials created by Gazprom Neft in partnership with the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, which were available on the company’s exhibition stand. These substances — higher tungsten borides — have a similar density to diamonds, can withstand temperatures of up to 2000 °С, and are cheap to produce. They significantly extend the reliability and service life of drilling equipment, particularly in the Middle East.
The company’s Integrated Asset Planning and Digital Twin programmes deliver a
“Smart assistants” for use in drilling processes were a further Gazprom Neft product on display at the exhibition. One such programme, in particular, uses indirect equipment operation controls (such as bit speed and temperature, vibration levels, etc.) to determine rock types, so that discharges from productive strata can be predicted and avoided, meaning wells in thin formations can be sited and built more accurately, cutting drilling time by 5%.
Gazprom Neft representatives attending the conference discussed the outlook for cooperating both with national energy companies (ADNOC, Mubadala Petroleum, Dragon Oil) and technology companies (Schlumberger, Huawei, Xecta, AIQ) — the focus here being on deploying cutting-edge scientific developments with scope for use industrially in the Middle East and worldwide.
“We are, already, working successfully in the Middle East and engaging with major regional partners. We’re working with Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company in the Tomsk Oblast, and are implementing a joint programme with Saudi Aramco through Moscow State University’s research centre. Gazprom Neft’s presence at ATCE this year is not as a producer, but as a technology production company. We’ve brought six products to ATCE, all of which illustrate the diversity of our developments. These can be used not just in hydrocarbon production, but also in other sectors — construction, for example. Countries in the Middle East are now starting to develop low-permeability oil and gas reservoirs. We’ve been developing these kinds of reserves for some time, and are willing to share our experience with our Arabic partners. We’ve got a whole range of offerings — from specific digital products to a fully integrated digital service.”.
Vadim Yakovlev Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Gazprom Neft
* The annual SPE Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) is a major scientific, technical and business platform giving delegates an insight into cutting-edge oil and gas exploration technologies, drilling and enhanced recovery, integrated approaches to oil, gas and condensate field development, enhanced oil and gas recovery, and oil well completion. This event brings together employees from major oil and gas production and service companies, research institutions, and university students, providing a platform for sharing knowledge and experience and demonstrating the latest technologies and advances, every year.
The 2021 event was held in Dubai for the second time, consolidating the conference’s ground-breaking legacy in drawing on the experience of leading oil and gas industry professionals.
The technical programme included presentations from the most senior industry professionals as well as sessions focusing on current solutions and developing technologies covering all stages of exploration and production.
** The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is a not-for-profit professional association whose members are engaged in oil and gas exploration and production. The SPE’s geographical professional and student divisions bring together more than 104,000 members.
** The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is a not-for-profit professional association whose more than 140,600 members in 144 countries are engaged in oil and gas exploration and production. SPE is a key resource for technical knowledge providing opportunities to exchange information at in-person and online events and training courses, publications, and other resources. SPE maintains offices in Dallas, London, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Calgary, Moscow and Houston.
