In the Arctic zone of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Gazprom Neft has discovered one of the most significant oil fields of the past 30 years. The deposit is located within the South Novoportovsky and Saletinsky license areas. Geological reserves are estimated at around 55 million tons of oil.
The new field is part of a large oil and gas cluster in the southern part of the Yamal Peninsula, which already includes the South Novoportovsky, Surovy, and Saletinsky areas. It has been named after Alexei Kontorovich, one of the founders of the Russian scientific school of petroleum and natural gas geology, whose research made a major contribution to the development of oil and gas production in Western Siberia.
According to Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov, the discovery underscores the continued substantial potential of Russia’s resource base, particularly in the Arctic and Eastern Siberia. At the same time, the project makes an important contribution to implementing Russia’s Energy Strategy through 2050, in which the development of Arctic projects plays a central role.
The discovery is the result of a three-year geological exploration program. Modern 2D and 3D seismic technologies as well as digital geological and hydrodynamic subsurface models were used. An exploration well reached a depth of around 2,700 meters and confirmed commercially viable inflows of low-sulfur, low-viscosity oil, as well as gas and condensate. Drilling operations were coordinated around the clock by the drilling management center in Tyumen, with digital solutions enabling real-time monitoring and precise forecasting.
Further exploration activities are planned in the coming years to examine the structure of the field in detail and lay the groundwork for industrial development.
Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal