OAO TATNEFT continues working on legal protection of own developments overseas. The Company received patent No. 2675160 for the invention "Method of developing heavy oil deposits".

 

The invention relates to the oil producing industry and is intended for development of extra-viscous oil deposits through horizontal wells with thermal bed stimulation.

 

Application of this technology provides for enhancing the efficiency of the deposit development by increasing the reservoir sweep efficiency through thermal stimulation. At present this method is being implemented in seven pairs of horizontal wells at Ashalchinskoye field of OAO TATNEFT and allows improving the accuracy of monitoring the uniformity of heating the steam chamber by controlling the heat carrier injection mode and total liquids production.

 

Implementation of the technology showed promising results of work: horizontal wells yield up to 20 tons of oil per day (with an average rate for conventional oil amounting to 4 t/d), which is 8-10 times higher versus the rates of vertical wells.

 

There are plans to expand the operations throughout the Ashalchinskoye field: the plans provide for drilling 29 pairs of horizontal wells, 39 single horizontal wells and 69 vertical wells.

 

TATNEFT is one of the largest, internationally recognized Russian oil companies, operating as a vertically integrated Group. The Company ranks No 6 in Russia by the volume of oil production after Rosneft, Lukoil, Surgutneftegaz, TNK-BP and Gazprom neft. In the competitive refining market the Company develops its own facilities, at the same time expanding the export of oil, gas and petrochemical products.