Gas and oil in Yamal

The Yamal Peninsula is a strategic oil- and gasbearing region. Commercial development of fields onshore and offshore Yamal is crucial for securing Russia's gas production. Althought Yamal is the primary source for oil and gas, Western Siberia is plenty of hydrocarbon resouces, as shown in the following image (via Blackburn Geoconsulting)

According to regional predictions, by 2012, a total of 638,6 billion cubic meters of gas will be produced in the region, much of which will be from the mighty Bovanenkovo field. Gazprom is about to install the first three rigs at its huge Bovanenkovo field in the Yamal Peninsula, with a total of nine rigs ready when production starts in late 2011. However, it is not all full steam ahead – the Yuzhno-Tambeyskoe gas field in the Yamal Peninsula will not now be started until 2024, Gazprom says, likely a disappointment to Shell and ENI, which both seek stakes in the project.

11 gas and 15 oil, gas and condensate fields with approximately 16 tcm of explored and preliminary estimated gas reserves (ABC1+C2) and nearly 22 tcm of in-place and forecast gas reserves (C3+D3) have been discovered on the Yamal Peninsula and in its adjacent offshore areas. Reserves of condensate (ABC1) are estimated at 230.7 mln t and those of oil – 291.8 mln t.

Gazprom Group holds the development licenses for the Bovanenkovskoye, Kharasaveyskoye, Novoportovskoye, Kruzenshternskoye, Severo-Tambeyskoye, Zapadno-Tambeyskoye, Tasiyskoye and Malyginskoye fields.

In terms of gas reserves (ABC1+C2) the Bovanenkovskoye field is the most significant one on the Yamal Peninsula (4.9 tcm). The initial gas reserves of the Kharasaveyskoye, Kruzenshternskoye and Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye fields amount to about 3.3 tcm.

The Yamal Peninsula will be a vital key for the development of the world’s gas industry over the next 50 years. Nowadays it gives 87 percent of Russia’s gas and 20 percent of the world’s gas, being specially significant in Europe, as the following figure and video display (via Gazprom).