OJSC Samotlorneftegaz (incorporated into the TNK-BP Group of companies) is actively using the mobile drilling technology for more efficient production in mature fields of West Siberia.

 

The technical capacity of mobile drilling rigs is no worse than that of pad mounted drilling rigs. Mobile drilling rigs allow drilling of wells up to 13120 ft. (4,000 m) deep. Relocation and assembly of mobile drilling rigs takes up to 7 days compared to 45 days for pad mounted drilling rigs. Apart from that, mobile drilling rigs make it possible to drill wells from the current well pad without additional costs for road and pad filling.

 

Dmitry Ponomarev, Head of the Innovation and Technology Section of Samotlorneftegaz, informed that Samotlorneftegas has drilled 69 wells in 2011, 57 of which were drilled with mobile drilling rigs. Five mobile drilling rigs are now used in the Samotlor field. "Mobile drilling rigs are used for drilling and construction of wells in many other fields of the company", stressed Dmitry Ponomarev.

 

TNK-BP is the third largest oil company of Russia owned on a parity basis by BP and the AAR Consortium (Alpha Group, Access Industries, and Renova). TNK-BP owns about 50% of the Russian oil and gas company Slavneft. TNK-BP’s share in Russia’s oil production, including its share in Slavneft, is approximately 16%. As of December 31, 2010, the total proven SEC life-of-field (LOF) reserves of the company, estimated according to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), amount to 8.794 billion barrels of oil equivalent.