Where are the main oil and gas industries located? Russian and foreign oil fields
The oldest oil and gas provinces are North Caucasian Mangyshlak occupies the northwestern and partly northern coast of the Caspian Sea, and Volga-Ural provinces(here, oil production on an industrial scale began several years before the start of the Great Patriotic War, in 1938). The main regions of Mangyshlak production are the Republic of Dagestan and the Stavropol Territory. Quite high quality Chechen oil this moment is practically not being developed, due to the still unfinished process of restoring economic stability in this region.
On the territory of the Volga-Ural province, oil and gas-bearing raw materials are produced in the Samara, Orenburg regions, Bashkiria, Tatarstan and Udmurtia, and the Perm Territory. Tatarstan is a traditional oil production region. Based on local oil, arose here powerful complex oil refining and chemical industry.
Timan-Pechora province occupies most of the territory of the Komi Republic and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The development of the province took place in two main stages: earlier the gas resources of the Komi Republic were developed, and later the oil and gas deposits of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. On the territory of this province there are such large oil and gas fields as Varandeyskoye, Layavozhskoye, Usinskoye, Vuktyl, Voyvozh, Vasilkovskoye. Many fields are being developed with the participation of foreign capital (Kharyaginskoye, Yuzhno-Khylchuyusskoye) and the largest Russian fuel concerns (LUKOIL financed the construction of the specialized Varandey port in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug at the Varandeyskoye field). Especially important have the Prirazlomnoye (the start of development is planned for the end of 2012, a platform for the extraction of raw materials has already been built) and the Peschanoozerskoye oil and gas fields on the shelf of the Barents Sea.
The largest province in terms of reserves (more than 70% of balance reserves) is West Siberian, active development of which began in the mid-1960s with the discovery of one of the world's richest oil fields - Samotlor (named after the lake of the same name to which the field is located; at the time of discovery it was the third in the world in terms of balance reserves). Basic oil fields concentrated in the middle reaches of the Ob, in the central part Western Siberia(Samotlorskoye, Varyoganskoye, Lyantorskoye, Ust-Balykskoye, Salymskoye, Vygnapurskoye, Luginetskoye, etc.). The largest gas fields are confined to the northern part of the province (Zapolyarnoye, Severo-Urengoyskoye, New Urengoy, Medvezhye, Gubkinskoe, Messoyakha, etc.). Some fields are oil and gas, i.e. both types of resources are simultaneously mined here (among them the already mentioned Novy Urengoy, Lyantorskoye, as well as some deposits in the north of the Tyumen region, for example, Uvat).
Okhotsk province dedicated to the rich energy resources shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk. The main developed fields (Okha, Nogliki) are located on Sakhalin Island. New offshore oil and gas fields are currently being developed. To the northeast of the Okhotsk province, on the shelf of the Bering Sea, there is a promising Pacific Province. In addition, promising provinces include Leno-Vilyuiskaya (western part of Yakutia), Leno-Tungusskaya and Yenisei-Anabarskaya ( Krasnoyarsk region). Currently, oil and gas production is underway in Irkutsk region(Yaraktinskoye, Verkhnechonskoye field) and gas in the Republic of Yakutia (Talon-Mastakhskoye, Srednevilyuiskoye). The Kovytkinskoye gas condensate field in the Irkutsk region is promising.
According to forecast estimates, the discovery of new large oil and gas fields is possible primarily on the shelf of the Arctic and Pacific Oceans(the most promising project is the exploration and development of the Shtokman field in the Barents Sea; it is planned that all the resources of the field will be produced “for export”). More details about the specific volumes of oil and gas production by regions of Russia will be discussed in the lecture “Fuel Industry”.
The West Siberian oil and gas province occupies the territory of the West Siberian Lowland. The first gas field, Berezovskoye, was discovered in 1953.
The platform of the West Siberian province is located on a foundation of Paleozoic age, represented by sandy-gyneous Meso-Cenozoic deposits, the thickness of which reaches 4000-5000 m.
The West Siberian oil and gas province includes several oil and gas regions:
§ Sredneobskaya;
§ Vasyuganskaya;
§ Frolovskaya;
§ North Tyumen;
§ Berezovo-Shaimskaya.
Middle Ob oil and gas region is represented by the Samotlor field, which is unique in terms of oil reserves. The richest oil fields also include Mamontovskoye, Sovetskoye, Ust-Balykskoye, Pravdinskoye, and Zapadno-Surgutskoye.
Oil and gas potential has been established in the Tyumen, Vasyugan, Megion and Vartov formations. The main oil reserves are associated with deposits of the Vartovskaya and Upper Megion formations. In their section, more than 30 permeable sand layers are distinguished, of which almost 20 have proven industrial oil and gas potential. Significant oil accumulations are contained in sandy and sandy-clayey formations of group “A” in the top part of the Vartovsky formation. Their thickness is variable, and are often replaced by clays and siltstones.
At the base of the sedimentary cover lies the Tyumen Formation (Lower + Middle Jurassic) with a thickness of 200-300 m. It is expressed by interlayering of sandstones, siltstones, and clays. The Upper Jurassic within the Surgut and Nizhnevartovsk arches is represented by the Vasyugan and Georgievsk formations, consisting of alternating sandstones and mudstones with a thickness of 50-110 m.
The Megion and Vartov formations (Valanginian and Hauterivian-Barremian) are composed of sandstone layers separated by mudstones with a thickness of 265-530 m.
Oil from the Middle Ob region has a density of 0.854-0.901 g/cm 3 and a sulfur content of 0.8-1.9%. The highest sulfur content is in oils from fields in the Surgut region. All oils are low-paraffin, 1.9-5.3%.
North Tyumen gas and oil region includes more than ten fields, including the largest such as Urengoyskoye, Zapolyarnoye, Medvezhye.
Main features of the geological structure. The thickness of the sedimentary cover is more than 4000 m, but the lower part of the section has not been studied by drilling. Lower-Middle Jurassic deposits are represented by alternating sandstones, siltstones and mudstones with a thickness of 220-445 m. Upper Jurassic deposits are composed of mudstones with a thickness of 100-150 m. Top part The Pokur formation is represented by clayey sands. The cover is Turonian-Paleogene clay with a thickness of 1000 m.
Huge gas reserves are concentrated in sandstones of Valanginian-Cenomanian age with good reservoir properties (porosity 26-34%, permeability up to 3000-6000 mD).
The gases of the Cenomanian deposits consist mainly of methane 98-99.6%. In most fields there is virtually no condensate. Gases from the Valanginian deposit contain large amounts of heavy hydrocarbons up to 9.5% and methane up to 88.5%.
The Urengoy field is the largest in the world in terms of gas reserves. It is confined to a gentle brachyanticlinal fold, the dimensions of which are 95x25 km. The gas reservoir is composed of interlayered sandstones, siltstones, and clays. The total thickness of gas-saturated reservoirs in the roof of the structure is 80-100 m. The porosity of the reservoirs is 20-35%, permeability 600-1000 mD.
Control questions:
1. Name reservoir properties rocks.
2. What determines the porosity and permeability of rocks?
3. What types of porosity and permeability are there?
4. What is the elemental composition of oil.
5. Tell us about physical properties oil.
6. What are the main properties of natural gas?
7. Hypotheses of organic and inorganic origin of oil.
8. Characteristics of reservoir rocks.
1. Introduction……………………………………………………………
2. Origin of oil and gas…………………………………
3. Rocks containing oil and natural gases………………
4. Concepts: “deposit”, “trap”, “deposit”, “layer”….
5. Deposits and fields of oil and gas……………………….
6. World oil and gas reserves……………………………..
7. Classification of deposit reserves, promising and forecast resources of oil and combustible gases in Russia
8. Groups of oil and gas reserves………………………………
Conclusion………………………………………………………..
List of references…………………………….
Introduction
“Oil and gas have attracted attention since time immemorial. Peoples of different countries used oil, asphalt and bitumen in medicine, construction, as fuel, lubricant, lighting and for military purposes. Currently, technical progress in all industries is associated with the use of oil and gas."
Oil and gas play a big role in the development of the national economy of our country. Oil and gas, as the most efficient and energy-intensive of all natural substances, have a dominant position in the energy sector.
Almost all cars and planes, as well as a significant part of ships and locomotives, run on petroleum products. An oil derivative - kerosene with liquid oxygen - is used in rocket technology, where the problem of fuel energy intensity is especially acute.
The value of oil as a fuel is determined by its energy properties, its physical state, sufficient stability during storage and transportation, and low toxicity.
But no less valuable is oil as a raw material for the chemical industry. Today, the petrochemical industry covers the production of synthetic materials and products mainly based on oil and natural gas products (synthetic rubber, products of basic organic synthesis, carbon black, rubber, asbestos and other products).
Gas is a high-calorie fuel. This is an excellent raw material for chemical production. In a certain sense, it replaces coke, being a technological component in metal smelting, used in cement production and for generating electricity, and has found wide application in everyday life.
1. Origin of oil and gas
There are different theories about the origin of oil and gas. Some of them assume inorganic, while others - organic formation of these minerals.
I will give the essence of some of them.
Water moves toward the Earth's core through cracks. Under conditions of high temperatures and pressures, water vapor reacts with heavy metal carbides, resulting in the formation of their oxides and hydrocarbons, i.e., components of oil and gas. Hydrocarbon vapors rise to the upper cold zones of the Earth, condense there and accumulate in cracks, voids and pores, forming deposits.
Another hypothesis about the cosmic origin of oil. The Earth was formed from gas and dust matter scattered in the protosolar system. The gas shell of the Earth contained hydrocarbons. As the Earth cooled and transitioned from a fiery liquid state to a liquid-solid state, hydrocarbons were absorbed by the cooling substance. In the coolest upper layers of the Earth, they condensed, moved along cracks and accumulated in certain zones, forming oil and gas deposits.
This is how the supposed inorganic origin of oil and gas is explained.
The theory of organic formation of oil and gas is generally accepted. The remains of animal and plant organisms, decomposing in the bowels of the Earth without access to oxygen under the influence of high temperatures and pressures, formed hydrocarbons - components of oil and gas.
Oil formation is associated with the processes of formation and subsequent changes in sedimentary rocks in significantly subsided basins. This process is multi-stage: oil consists of components that were formed in different periods. Some of its components arose in living organisms. The next generation of oil components was formed during the transformation of loose sediments into sedimentary rocks in the upper zone of the earth's crust.
Oil saturates the rock, which over time is subjected to increasing rock pressure due to the increase in the thickness of sedimentary rocks. Under the influence of this pressure, oil moved into more porous rocks, resulting in the formation of deposits.
The following factors confirm the organic origin of oil. Oil deposits are almost absent in volcanic areas and those areas that are composed of rocks erupted from great depths. The vast majority of known oil and gas accumulations are associated with sedimentary rock strata.
2. Rocks containing oil and natural gases
Rocks that have the ability to hold oil, gas and water and release them when their accumulation sites are developed are called reservoirs. Most reservoir rocks are of sedimentary origin. Oil and gas reservoirs are sands, sandstones, siltstones, siltstones, some clay rocks, limestones, chalk, dolomites.
Reservoir rocks are characterized by two characteristics - porosity and permeability. Porosity characterizes the volume of voids in the rock, and permeability describes the ability of oil, water or gas to penetrate through the rock. Not all porous rocks are permeable to oil and gas. Permeability depends on the size of voids or pores, grains, relative position and packing density of particles, and rock fracturing. Supercapillary voids have dimensions >0.5 mm, capillary 0.5-0.0002 mm, subcapillary<0,0002 мм. Движение нефти в пласте возможно лишь по сообщающимся между собой поровым каналам размером >0.0002 mm.
There are total, open and effective porosity. Total porosity is the volume of all the pores in the rock. Open porosity is the volume of only those pores that communicate with each other. Effective porosity is determined by the presence of pores from which oil can be extracted when developing areas where it accumulates. The porosity value reaches 40%.
When developing oil and gas accumulation areas, they are sometimes used artificial methods increasing porosity and permeability.
The reservoir properties of oil and gas bearing formations often change over short distances in the same formation.
Accumulations of oil and gas in reservoir rocks are covered by rocks impermeable to oil, gas and water. Such rocks are called tires. Their role is played by clays, salts, gypsum, anhydrites, etc.
Seal rocks vary in thickness, density, permeability, mineralogical composition and distribution pattern.
At the same time, absolutely impermeable tires for oil and gas do not exist in nature. The best rocks are those that have a high screening ability, i.e., low absolute permeability to gas.
If a reservoir rock contains oil, gas or water and is shielded by poorly permeable rocks, it is called a natural reservoir.
Natural reservoirs are stratified, massive and lithologically limited on all sides.
A reservoir reservoir is a reservoir with a significant area (hundreds and thousands of square kilometers) and small thickness (from fractions to tens of meters), often containing individual lens-shaped layers of impermeable rocks (Fig. 1).
A massive reservoir is a massive layer of reservoir strata that may contain impermeable layers. All layers of permeable rocks communicate with each other, representing a single reservoir.
A lithologically limited natural reservoir is practically surrounded on all sides by impermeable rocks (for example, a lens of sands in a layer of clayey rocks).
Oil and gas, once in a natural reservoir filled with water, begin to move (migrate) and strive to occupy the highest position in it. This occurs as a result of the different densities of oil, gas and water and
the action of gravitational forces (gravity). First, gas and oil move to the top of the natural reservoir (the top of the reservoir formation - or the bottom of the capstone formation). If the layer is inclined, then they move along its roof until they reach the surface of the earth's crust or to some obstacle (lithological screen, a change in the slope of the layer to the opposite). In the first case, oil coming to the surface is absorbed by the rocks surrounding the outcrop, and the gas evaporates into the atmosphere; in the second, an accumulation of oil and gas is formed in front of the barrier, shielded by some kind of obstacle. The part of a natural reservoir in which oil and gas can be screened and accumulated is called a trap. Once trapped, the oil and gas are in a state of relative peace. A lithologically closed natural reservoir is itself a trap.
In nature there are traps of different forms (structural, stratigraphic, lithological and reefogenic).
3. Concepts: “field”, “trap”, “deposit”, “layer”
Field oil and gas is a collection of oil and gas deposits confined to one or more natural traps in the depths of the same limited area controlled by a single structural element.
Trap – part of a natural reservoir in which an equilibrium state of water, oil and gas is established over time. Since the gas density is the lowest, it accumulates in the upper part of the trap. Below gas is oil. Water, as the heaviest liquid, accumulates at the bottom of the trap.
Trapped in any shape favorable conditions Significant amounts of oil and gas may accumulate. This trap is called deposit. The shape and size of the deposit are determined by the shape and size of the trap.
Plast - a mass of any rock, presented mainly in the form of a horizontal layer of this rock, enclosed between two layers of other rocks. The upper surface of the formation is called the roof, the lower - the base. The distance between the roof and the base is called the thickness of the formation. The main elements characterizing the occurrence of a formation are the direction of dip, strike and angle of inclination.
5. Oil and gas deposits and deposits
Oil and gas deposits are their natural accumulation in permeable porous or fractured reservoirs. The shape and size of the deposit are determined by the shape and size of the trap. Gas, oil and water are located in the trap according to their densities (Fig. 2). Gas is in the roof of the natural reservoir under the lid, below is oil, and even lower is water. The contact surfaces of gas and oil, oil and water are called gas-oil and water-oil contact surfaces, respectively. The line of intersection of this surface (gas-oil or water-oil contact) with the roof of the productive formation is called the outer contour of gas or oil content. The line of intersection of the surface of the oil-water (gas-oil) contact with the bottom of the formation is called the internal oil-bearing (gas-bearing) contour.
A gas cap is an accumulation of free gas above oil in a reservoir. It is formed if the pressure in the reservoir is equal to the saturation pressure of oil with gas at a given temperature in the reservoir. If the reservoir pressure is higher than the saturation pressure, then all the gas will dissolve in the oil.
If there is not enough gas and oil in the trap to fill the entire thickness of the formation, then there are no internal contours of gas or oil content (for deposits in massive natural reservoirs).
The length, width and area of the deposit are determined by its projection (image) onto a horizontal plane inside the outer contour of the oil-bearing capacity (gas-bearing capacity). The height of the deposit is the vertical distance from the base to its highest point.
Deposits are genetically related to traps, therefore they, like traps, are divided into structural, lithological, reefogenic and stratigraphic.
A set of oil and gas deposits confined to one or more natural traps in the depths of the earth’s crust of the same limited area is called an oil and gas field (a natural accumulation of oil and gas in some area of the earth’s crust in large quantities).
A single deposit is considered a field if, taking into account oil and gas reserves, it is advisable to carry out its commercial development. Several deposits are included in one field, provided that they have the same type of structure and require the same approach to their development.
Oil and gas fields are divided into two classes:
Class I - deposits formed in geosynclinal areas (for example, in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan);
Class II - deposits formed in platform areas (for example, in Western Siberia).
A set of adjacent and similar in their geological structure oil and gas fields, confined to a specific and generally unified group of genetically interconnected local traps, represents an oil and gas accumulation zone.
Large oil and gas bearing territories include: oil and gas bearing areas and oil and gas bearing provinces.
An oil and gas bearing area is a part of an oil and gas bearing area that unites oil accumulation zones and is distinguished by geographic or geostructural characteristics.
Oil and gas bearing area is a territory confined to one of the large geostructural elements (arches, depressions, troughs, etc.), and having a common geological structure and geological history of development with it.
An oil and gas province is a single geological province that unites adjacent oil and gas areas and is characterized by the common stratigraphic position of the main oil and gas deposits in the section and the similarity of the main features of regional geology.
6. World oil and gas reserves
Energy consumption in the world is constantly growing. Naturally, the question arises: how long will they last?
Information on proven oil reserves, as well as their volumes in 1996, is given in Table 1. When compiling it, countries with the largest reserves of “black gold” were selected for each region.
| Region, country | Proven reserves | Oil production in 1996 |
Inventory ratio, | ||
| billion tons | % from | million tons | % of | years | |
| world | world | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Asia and | |||||
| Oceania, total | 5,79 | 4,2 | 354,0 | 11,2 | 16,4 |
| including: | |||||
| China | 3,29 | 2,4 | 156,4 | 4,9 | 21,0 |
| Indonesia | 0,68 | 0,5 | 75,8 | 2,4 | 9,0 |
| India | 0,59 | 0,4 | 32,1 | 1,0 | 18,4 |
| Northern and | |||||
| Latin | |||||
| America, total | 21,26 | 15,2 | 849,2 | 26,8 | 25,0 |
| including: | |||||
| Venezuela | 8,88 | 6,4 | 147,8 | 4,7 | 60,1 |
| Mexico | 6,68 | 4,8 | 142,7 | 4,5 | 46,8 |
| USA | 3,06 | 2,2 | 323,8 | 10,2 | 9,5 |
| Africa, total | 9,25 | 6,6 | 334,4 | 10,6 | 27,7 |
| including: | |||||
| Libya | 4,04 | 2,9 | 70,1 , | | 2 " 2 | 58,0 |
| Nigeria | 2,13 | 1,5 | 100,7 | 3,2 | 21,2 |
| Algeria | 1,26 | 0,9 | 40,8 | 1,3 | 30,9 |
| Middle and | |||||
| Average | |||||
| East of everything | 92,65 | 66,4 | 952,0 | 30,0 | 97,3 |
| including: | |||||
| Saudi | 35,48 | 25,4 | 392,0 | 12,4 | 90,5 |
| Arabia | |||||
| Iraq | 15,34 | 11,0 | 30,0 | 0,9 | 511,3 |
| Kuwait | 12,88 | 9,2 | 90,9 | 2,9 | 141,7 |
| Iran | 12,74 | 9,1 | 183,8 | 5,8 | 69,3 |
| Abu Dhabi | 12,63 | 9,0 | 92,3 | 2,9 | 136,8 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Eastern | |||||
| Europe, total | 8,10 | 5,8 | 364,1 | 11,5 | 22,3 |
| including | |||||
| CIS | 7,81 | 5,6 | 352,2 | 11,1 | 22,2 |
| Romania | 0,22 | 0,2 | 6,8 | 0,2 | 32,4 |
| Albania | 0,02 | less than 0.1 | 0,5 | less than 0.1 | 40,0 |
| Western | |||||
| Europe, total | 2,52 | 1,8 | 315,0 | 9,9 | 8,0 |
| including: | |||||
| Norway | 1,54 | 1,1 | 154,3 | 4,9 | 10,0 |
| Great Britain | 0,62 | 0,4 | 131,6 | 4,2 | 4,7 |
| Denmark | 0,13 | 0,1 | 10,3 | 0,3 | 12,6 |
| Total in the world | 139,57 | 100,0 | 3168,8 | 100,0 | 44,1 |
Proven reserves are only one component of oil resources. In addition to these, there are also probable and possible reserves.
Proved reserves are the part of reserves that will most likely be extracted from developed deposits under existing economic and technical conditions.
Probable reserves are part of the reserves, geological and engineering, the data on which is still insufficient for an unambiguous judgment about the possibility of development in the existing economic and technical conditions, but which can be economically effective even with a slight increase in information about the relevant deposits and the development of production technology.
Possible reserves are those portions of the reserves for which there is only sufficient geological information to provide at least an approximate estimate of the cost of extraction or an approximate indication of the optimal method of extraction, but only with a low degree of probability (such an estimate is indicative and depends on the individual point of view).
Probable and possible reserves differ from proven reserves in that either they are impractical to develop at the current price level and technologies used, or information about them is insufficient.
“About 40 thousand oil and gas fields have been discovered in various regions of the world. Oil and gas production is carried out in the territories and waters of more than 75 countries of the world."
Table 1 shows that the countries in the Near and Middle East are the richest in oil - 66.4% of its world reserves are concentrated here. If current production rates are maintained, these reserves will last for an average of 97.3 years. Most oil in Saudi Arabia(35.48 billion tons). Next in descending order are Iraq (15.34 billion tons), Kuwait (12.88), Iran (12.74), Abu Dhabi (12.63). The total oil reserves of the listed countries account for over 96% of the reserves of the region as a whole.
The second region for oil reserves is North and Latin America. 15.2% of the world's reserves of “black gold” are concentrated here. It will last for an average of 25 years. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves here (8.88 billion tons), the subsoil of Mexico (6.68) and the USA (3.06) are relatively rich.
Africa contains 9.25 billion tons of oil (6.6% of world reserves). At the current level of production, these reserves will last for an average of 27.7 years. Libya (4.04 billion tons), Nigeria (2.13) and Algeria (1.26) have the most oil in this region.
Eastern Europe ranks 4th in the world in terms of oil reserves (5.8% of the world). There is no competition here from the CIS countries (7.81 billion tons). Romania has much smaller reserves - about 220 million tons. The third country in terms of reserves of Eastern Europe- Albania has only 20 million tons of oil.
In the depths of Asia and Oceania there are about 4.2% of the world's reserves of “black gold”, of which about 57% are in China.
Western Europe has the smallest oil reserves in the world - less than 2% of the world's reserves. More than half of them are the property of Norway (1.54 billion tons), approximately a quarter is the property of Great Britain (0.62).
In general, proven oil reserves in the world in 1996 amounted to 139.6 billion tons, which at the current level of production will last for 44.1 years.
Gloomy forecasts that “oil is running out” have been heard for a long time. In 1935, scientists predicted that in 15...20 years all known oil deposits would be depleted. The prediction did not come true. In 1955, world oil production amounted to over 700 million tons. In 1951, it was expected that “oil will disappear in 25 years.” But in 1976, people managed to pump out about 3 billion tons of oil from the depths. At the same time, the deadline for depleting the planet’s oil reserves was moved to the 21st century.
Will this forecast come true? Most likely no.
Proven oil reserves in countries around the world are constantly being updated. Table 2 shows the dynamics of changes in proven reserves in a number of leading oil-producing countries in the world.
Table 2. Dynamics of changes in proven oil reserves in countries around the world, billion tons.
| A country | 1961 G . | 1965 G . | 1981 G . | 1993 G . | 1995 G . |
| Venezuela | 2,0 | 2,4 | 2,5 | 8,6 | 8,8 |
| Iraq | 3,6 | 3,4 | 4,1 | 13,6 | 13,7 |
| Iran | 5,6 | 5,5 | 7,9 | 12,6 | 12,1 |
| Kuwait | 8,4 | 8,4 | 8.9 | 12,8 | 12,9 |
| Mexico | - | - | 6,0 | 6,9 | 6,8 |
| Nigeria | 0,1 | 0,4 | 2,3 | 2,4 | 2,9 |
| Saudi | 6,5 | 8,1 | 22,6 | 35,2 | 35,4 |
| Arabia | |||||
| USA | 4,3 | 4,3 | 3,6 | 3,2 | 3,1 |
The table shows that proven oil reserves in the vast majority of countries have not only not decreased in more than 30 years, but have increased several times. We can expect this trend to continue in the future.
However, as proven reserves decline, oil prices rise. New, more advanced oil production technologies are emerging. In this regard, eventually probable and possible oil reserves will become proven.
Considering that the values of all three types of reserves are comparable, the timing of the onset of the “oil famine” can be postponed by several more decades. Even if we assume that not a single new oil field will be discovered during this time.
The widespread use of natural gas in the world began only in the 50s of our century. Since that time, scientists began to seriously study its reserves. The change in proven natural gas reserves in the world can be judged from the data in Table. 3.
Table 3. Proven reserves of natural gas in the world
It is easy to see that in all regions except Western Europe, proven natural gas reserves increased from 1975 to 1996. Accordingly, world gas reserves increased from 65 to 140 trillion. m 3. If in 1975 the countries of the Near and Middle East had the largest gas reserves, then in 1996 - the CIS countries (56 trillion m 3) and, above all, Russia.
Iran ranks 2nd in terms of proven gas reserves (21 trillion m3). This is followed by Qatar (7.1), Abu Dhabi (5.4), Saudi Arabia (5.3), USA (4.7).
The world's total natural gas resources (including probable and possible reserves) are estimated at 398 trillion. m 3. If the current level of gas production is maintained (about 2200 billion m 3 /year), these resources will last for about 200 years.
However, natural gas is not only found underground in pure gas fields. Significant quantities of it are concentrated in coal seams, in groundwater ah and in the form of gas hydrates.
Accidents with tragic consequences in coal mines are usually associated with methane contained in coal. Methane is found in the rock mass in a sorbed state. According to geologists, methane reserves in all coal-bearing regions of the world are close to 500 trillion. m 3.
Methane is also found in groundwater. The amount of dissolved gases in them exceeds all proven gas reserves in traditional form. for example, 736 trillion are dissolved in the formation waters of the Gulf Coast field (USA). m 3 of methane, while natural gas reserves in pure gas fields of the United States amount to only 4.7 trillion. m 3.
Another large source of methane can be gas hydrates - its compounds with water, reminiscent of appearance March snow. One cubic meter of gas hydrate contains about 200 m 3 of gas.
Deposits of gas hydrates are found in sediments of deep-sea areas and in the bowels of land with thick permafrost(for example, in the polar part of the Tyumen region, off the coast of Alaska, the coast of Mexico and North America).
Scientists believe that 9/10 of the area of the World Ocean contains gas hydrates. If this assumption is confirmed, then gas hydrates can become an inexhaustible source of hydrocarbon raw materials.
7. Classification of deposit reserves, promising and forecast resources of oil and combustible gases in Russia
Accounting and control of mineral reserves, including oil and gas, is an important task. To calculate reserves, a comprehensive geological study of the field with which oil and gas deposits are associated and knowledge of the specific conditions of their occurrence are required.
Russia has always been famous for its corps of mining engineers and scientific geologists. Back in 1888, geologist A.I. Konshin carried out calculations of reserves for fields in southern Russia.
“In 1925, the first attempt was made to calculate oil reserves for the country as a whole. In 1937, on the initiative of the Energy Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences, M. A. Zhdanov and S. V. Shumilin calculated gas reserves for the first time.” The development of the methodology for calculating oil and gas reserves was largely facilitated by the Central Commission for Reserves (CDC), created in 1935, which was later renamed the All-Union Commission for Reserves (VKZ), and then the State Commission for Reserves (GKZ) under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, now State Reserves Committee of Russia.
Field reserves and promising resources of oil and combustible gas are calculated and taken into account in the state balance of mineral reserves of Russia based on the results of geological exploration and field development. By flammable gas we mean natural gas - free gas, gas from gas caps and gas dissolved in oil.
Forecast oil and gas resources, the presence of which is assumed on the basis of general geological concepts, theoretical premises, results of geological, geophysical, geochemical studies, are estimated within large regions, oil and gas provinces, water areas, regions, districts, areas. Data on predicted oil and gas resources are used when planning prospecting and exploration work.
When determining deposit reserves, reserves of oil, gas, condensate and the components they contain (ethane, propane, butane, sulfur, helium, metals), the feasibility of extraction of which is justified by technological and technical-economic calculations, are subject to mandatory calculation and accounting. Calculation and accounting of reserves of oil, gas, condensate and the components they contain that are of industrial importance are carried out for each deposit separately and for the field as a whole.
Prospective resources are calculated and taken into account, and predicted resources are assessed separately for oil, gas and condensate.
Deposit reserves and prospective resources of oil and condensate, as well as ethane, propane, butane, sulfur and metals are calculated and taken into account, and the predicted resources of oil and condensate are estimated in mass units; deposit reserves and promising gas and helium resources are calculated and taken into account, and forecast gas resources are estimated in volume units. Counting, accounting and evaluation are carried out under conditions reduced to standard (0.1 MPa at 20° C).
The quality of oil, gas and condensate is assessed in accordance with the requirements of state, industry standards and technical specifications, taking into account production and processing technology that ensures their integrated use.
When receiving groundwater inflows from wells in oil and gas fields, the chemical composition of groundwater, the content of iodine, bromine, boron and other useful components in it, temperature, water flow rates and other indicators must be determined to justify the feasibility of carrying out special geological exploration work in order to assess groundwater reserves and determining the possibility of using them to absorb useful components or for thermal power, balneological and other needs.
The application of this Classification to deposit reserves and promising oil and gas resources is determined by the instructions of the State Reserves Committee of Russia.
“Reserves of oil, gas, condensate and the components they contain that are of industrial importance are divided into four categories according to the degree of exploration: explored - categories A, B, C 1 and preliminary estimated - category C 2."
Oil and gas resources, according to the degree of their validity, are divided into promising - category C 3 and forecast - categories D 1 and D 2.
Category A - reserves of a deposit (its part), studied in detail, ensuring full definition type, shape and size of the deposit, effective oil and gas saturated thickness, type of reservoir, nature of changes in reservoir properties, oil and gas saturation of productive formations, composition and properties of oil, gas and condensate, as well as the main features of the deposit on which the conditions for its development depend (operating mode, well productivity, reservoir pressure, oil, gas and condensate flow rates, hydraulic conductivity and piezoelectric conductivity, etc.).
Category B - reserves of a deposit (its part), the oil and gas potential of which is established on the basis of the obtained industrial inflows of oil or gas in wells at various hypsometric marks. Type, shape and size of the deposit, effective oil and gas saturated thickness, type of reservoir, nature of changes in reservoir properties, oil and gas saturation of productive formations, composition and properties of oil, gas and condensate in reservoirs and standard conditions and other parameters, as well as the main features of the deposit that determine the conditions for its development, have been studied to an extent sufficient to draw up a project for the development of the deposit.
Category B reserves are calculated based on the deposit (its part) drilled in accordance with the approved technological scheme for the development of an oil field or a pilot project for the development of a gas field.
Category C 1 - reserves of a deposit (its part), the oil and gas potential of which is established on the basis of industrial inflows of oil or gas obtained in wells (some of the wells were tested by a formation tester) and positive results of geological and geophysical studies performed in untested wells.
The type, shape and size of the deposit, the conditions of occurrence of the oil and gas reservoirs are established based on the results of drilling exploration and production wells and geological and geophysical research methods tested for the area. Lithological composition, reservoir type, reservoir properties, oil and gas saturation, oil displacement coefficient, effective oil and gas saturated thickness of productive formations were studied from core and well logging materials. The composition and properties of oil, gas and condensate under reservoir and standard conditions were studied based on well testing data. The industrial value of the oil rim has been established for gas-oil deposits. Well productivity, hydraulic conductivity and piezoelectric conductivity of the formation, reservoir pressure, temperature, oil, gas and condensate flow rates were studied based on the results of well testing and exploration. Hydrogeological and geocryological conditions were established based on the results of well drilling and by analogy with neighboring explored fields.
Category C 1 reserves are calculated based on the results of geological exploration and production drilling and must be studied to the extent that provides the initial data for drawing up a technological scheme for the development of an oil field or a pilot project for the development of a gas field.
Category C 2 - reserves of a deposit (its part), the presence of which is justified by data from geological and geophysical research: in unexplored parts of the deposit adjacent to areas with reserves of higher categories; in intermediate and overlying untested layers of explored deposits.
The shape and dimensions of the deposit, the conditions of occurrence, the thickness and reservoir properties of the formations, the composition and properties of oil, gas and condensate are determined in general outline based on the results of geological and geophysical studies, taking into account data from a more studied part of the deposit or by analogy with explored deposits.
Category C 3 reserves are used to determine the prospects of a field, plan geological exploration or geological field studies when transferring wells to higher-lying formations, and partly for designing the development of deposits.
Category C 3 - promising oil and gas resources prepared for deep drilling of areas located within the oil and gas bearing area and delineated by methods of geological and geophysical research proven for the given area, as well as reservoirs of explored deposits not exposed by drilling, if their productivity has been established in other deposits of the area .
The shape, size and conditions of occurrence of the deposit are determined in general terms based on the results of geological and geophysical studies, and the thickness and reservoir properties of the formations, the composition and properties of oil or gas are taken by analogy with explored fields.
Promising oil and gas resources are used when planning prospecting and exploration work and the increase in reserves of categories C 1 and C 2.
Quantitative assessment of predicted oil and gas resources of category D 1 is made based on the results of regional geological, geophysical and geochemical studies and by analogy with explored fields within the assessed region.
Category D 2 - predicted oil and gas resources of lithological-stratigraphic complexes, assessed within large regional structures, the industrial oil and gas potential of which has not yet been proven. The oil and gas potential of these complexes is predicted based on data from geological, geophysical and geochemical studies. A quantitative assessment of the predicted resources of this category is made according to hypothetical parameters based on general geological concepts and by analogy with other, more studied regions where there are explored oil and gas deposits.
Reserves of commercially important components contained in oil, gas and condensate are calculated in the oil and gas reserve calculation circuits in the same categories.
8. Oil and gas reserve groups
Reserves of oil, gas, condensate and components contained in them in industrial quantities, according to national economic importance, are divided into two groups that are subject to separate calculation and accounting: balance - reserves of fields (deposits), the involvement of which in development is currently economically feasible; off-balance sheet - reserves of fields (deposits), the involvement of which in development is currently economically inexpedient or technically and technologically impossible, but which can later be transferred to balance sheet.
In balance reserves of oil, dissolved gas, condensate and the components they contain that are of industrial importance, recoverable reserves are calculated and taken into account.
Recoverable reserves are part of the balance reserves that can be extracted from the subsoil with the rational use of modern technical means and production technology, taking into account the acceptable level of costs (closing costs) and compliance with the requirements for the protection of subsoil and the environment.
Oil and condensate recovery factors are determined on the basis of variant technological and technical-economic calculations and are approved by the State Reserves Committee of Russia, taking into account the conclusions of the relevant departments.
Oil and gas reserves located within the protective zones of large reservoirs and watercourses, settlements, buildings, agricultural facilities, nature reserves, natural, historical and cultural monuments, are classified as on-balance or off-balance sheet on the basis of technical and economic calculations, which take into account the costs of moving objects or costs associated with the use special ways field development.
Conclusion
Oil and gas play and will play in the coming years a major role in the country’s energy balance. With increasing difficulties in providing various types energy in the world, the question arises of increasing their resources. The search and exploration of new deposits is becoming more difficult and expensive every year (primarily due to increasing drilling depths and access to the shelf). Therefore, the important tasks of oil and gas producing enterprises are to achieve high efficiency in the development of oil and gas fields, and to increase the recoverable reserves of oil and gas in developed fields. All this necessitates the widespread use of methods of geological and field geophysical study of oil, gas and gas condensate fields.
The study of the geological structure of oil and gas fields, the calculation of oil and gas reserves in them, the study of processes occurring in the subsoil during the development of fields, as well as monitoring their development - all these issues constitute a section of mining and geological science, which is called oil and gas field geology.
The current stage of development of field geological research is characterized by broad complexity, which involves the use of data from geology, field geophysics, drilling, operation, economics, etc.
List of used literature:
1. Burdyn T.A., Zaks Yu.B. Chemistry of oil, gas and formation waters. – M.: Nedra, 1975.
2. Gorshkov G.P., Yakushova A.F. General geology. – M., 1973.
3. Eremenko N.A. Geology of oil and gas. - M., 1968.
4. Kabirov M.M., Razhetdinov U.Z. Basics of well oil production. – Ufa, 1994.
5. Kalinin V. G., Vagin S. B. et al. Oil and gas field geology and hydrogeology. M., 1997.
6. Korshak A.A., Shammazov A.M. Fundamentals of oil and gas business. – Ufa, 2001.
7. Maslov N.I., Kotov M.R. Engineering geology. – M., 1971.
8. Permyakov V.G., Khairetdinov N.Sh., Shevkunov E.N. Oilfield geology and geophysics. - M., 1986.
9. Eliyashevsky I.V. Oil and gas production technology. - M., 1985.
Kabirov M.M., Razhetdinov U.Z. Basics of well oil production. – Ufa, 1994. P.3.
Bakirov A. A., Borodovskaya V. I. and others. Geology and geochemistry of oil and gas. M., 1993. P. 270.
Zhdanov M.A. Oil and gas field geology and calculation of oil and gas reserves. M., 1970. P.405.
Kalinin V.G., Vagin S.B. et al. Oil and gas field geology and hydrogeology. M., 1997. P. 153.
The total area of the entire Arctic shelf exceeds 26 million km2. The area of the promising water area of the Russian sector of the Arctic is at least 5 million km2. Almost the entire Arctic is located on a block of pre-Riphean continental crust. According to another point of view, the existence of a pre-Riphean platform is denied. If the existence of a pre-Riphean platform is proven, then a significant part of the North will go to Russia. Arctic Ocean. Thus, the question of the pre-Riphean platform has not only scientific, but also economic significance.
Subsequent events (rifting, formation of Caledonides zones, Mesozoic tectogenesis, opening of oceanic basins, etc.) determined the formation modern structure this region. Within the Arctic shelf, two large blocks of the earth's crust have emerged. The Eurasian (Norwegian-Barents-Kara) block covers the seas of the same name, the western part of the Laptev Sea, archipelagos and islands (Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, New Earth and etc.). The Amerasian block includes the eastern part of the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian Sea with the New Siberian Islands and the Chukchi Sea with the Wrangel and Herald islands. The blocks are separated by the rift zone of the underwater Gakkel Ridge, branches of this zone in the south, as well as deep-sea basins adjacent to the ridge. The regime and features of oil and gas content of the sedimentary basins identified within these blocks were significantly influenced by rifting.
Within the Arctic waters, there are large subsidence areas with increased thickness of sediments and uplift, which are promising for searching for oil and gas fields. Based on tectonic and lithological-stratigraphic analyses, areas have been identified that can be considered as separate provinces that include these sedimentary basins. Some of them are proven oil and gas bearing areas, others are considered very promising.
The oil and gas basins of the western (Eurasian) block contain significant oil and gas resources, which is proven by the discovery of the unique Shtokman gas field in the Barents Sea, oil and gas fields in the Pechora Sea (Prirazlomnoye, Severo-Dolginskoye and others), gas fields in the Kara Sea (Rusanovskoye and Leningradskoye). In the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea, hydrocarbon deposits are confined to the Snohvit oil and gas field and the Golias oil field. According to estimates carried out by VNIIokeangeologiya, VNIGRI and other organizations, the Russian part of the Western Arctic shelf, including the Barents, Pechora and Kara Sea, makes up more than 75% of the total proven reserves Russian shelf- 8.2 billion tons conventional fuel. Within the eastern (Amerasian) sector of the Russian Arctic, not a single well has yet been drilled and not a single oil and gas field has been discovered, but there are prospects, judging by the presence of large fields in similar strata in adjacent areas of Alaska. In the eastern part of the shelf Chukchi Sea American companies drilled several wells that showed signs of oil content.
According to the point of view accepted in Russia, the main part of the Arctic Ocean and the adjacent Arctic land area is located on pre-Riphean continental-type crust. The depth of the base of the earth's crust (Mohorovicic boundary) varies from 40-42 km, decreasing under zones of continental rifting to 33-35, sometimes up to 25 km. The Conrad boundary is fixed at a depth of 20-25 km.
IN geological history In the Arctic basins, several stages of rifting, often synchronous, are distinguished in remote areas. The synchronicity of the manifestation of rifting makes it possible to outline regional geological zones stretching for hundreds and thousands of kilometers and characterized by a similar geological history. As a result, it is possible to make a forecast of oil and gas content in seemingly disconnected tectonic blocks.
Figure 5 shows a geomorphological map of the Arctic Ocean.
Rice. 5.
In terms of oil and gas potential, each sedimentary rock basin corresponds to an oil and gas bearing basin. Within the Western Arctic shelf, the Barents Sea, Timan-Pechora, South Kara, West Siberian, North Kara, Yenisei-Khatanga, South Laptevsk oil and gas basins are distinguished; in the eastern sector of the Russian Arctic - East Siberian and Chukotka.
The Barents Sea oil and gas basin is the most studied; only gas and gas condensate fields have been identified within its boundaries (Shtokman, Ledovoye, Ludlovskoye, Severo-Kildinskoye and Murmanskoye).
Within the aquatorial part of the Timan-Pechora oil and gas basin, the identified fields are confined to the zones of continuation of aulacogens: Varandey-Adzvinskoye (Varandey-Sea, Medynskoye-Sea, Dolginskoye and Prirazlomnoye) and Pechora-Kolvinskoye (Pomeranian gas). The North Gulyaevskoye oil and gas field is associated with the aquatorial continuation of the Khoreyverskaya depression, and the Peschanoozerskoye and Izhemko-Tarkskoye oil fields are associated with the aquatorial continuation of the Malozemelsko-Kolguevskaya monocline.
Within the South Kara and northern West Siberian oil and gas basins, unique and large deposits have been identified on land on the Yamal Peninsula, and in the offshore part two unique gas fields have been discovered (Rusanovskoye and Leningradskoye) in the Ob and Taz bays.
The most favorable zones for the formation of oil and gas potential in the basin are the zones of rift troughs and the “ultradeep depressions” formed in their place.
Mostly gas fields are associated with inversion anticlinal uplifts. They are located in chains within the shafts and form linear zones of oil and gas accumulation. Such promising zones within the Barents Sea rifting zone include all inversion structures (Demidovsko-Ludlovsky megaswell, Shtokman saddle, Central Bank and Fersman uplifts).
Within the South Kara-Yamal rifting zone, the most promising for the search for oil and gas fields are the inversion swells (Nurminsky, Malyginsky, Yamburgsky, Gydansky, Preobrazhensko-Zelenomysovsky, Novoportovsky, Urengoysky, Tazovsky, Chaselsky, Verkhne-Tolkinsky, Kharampursky).
Interesting, from the point of view of oil and gas potential, is the area of development of salt tectogenesis within the Central Barents rifting zone. Salt domes may be associated with gas accumulations in the subsalt complex or small oil accumulations in the supra-salt complex of sediments.
For the formation of oil accumulations, the most favorable areas are the side sections of large troughs or individual arched uplifts within rifting zones that have undergone a significant uplift, which could be repeated several times during the geological history of the basin. As a result, the powerful Mesozoic section turned out to be eroded, and the Paleozoic section of the sedimentary cover lies at a depth accessible for drilling. Such promising structures for oil include the Fedynsky arch, as well as the side sections of the Admiralty Shaft. The possibility of preserving oil in Paleozoic rocks is evidenced by the findings of liquid bitumen in them in the extreme north of Novaya Zemlya, on Pioner Island, in the western part of the Yenisei-Khatanga trough, on Severnaya Zemlya and Taimyr.
Within ultra-deep depressions, “tectonic nodes” have the maximum productivity, that is, areas that fall into the area of intersection of continental rifting zones of different directions, and possibly of different ages. These “tectonic nodes” reflect the intersection of zones with high deep energy, which causes an anomaly in all the processes occurring in them, including oil and gas formation and subsequent migration of hydrocarbons. Such areas within the Barents Sea basin include the area of intersection of the Paleozoic sublatitudinal zone of rifting and the submeridional zone of Triassic rifting superimposed on it, stretching along the Novaya Zemlya folded region and forming the South Barents and North Barents basins. This area includes the giant Shtokman and two large gas fields (Ludlovskoye and Ledovoye).
Within the South Kara-West Siberian basin, such tectonic nodes include the intersection of the Yenisei-Khatanga trough with both the South Kara-Yamal rifting zone and the Laptev Sea rift. Within Western Siberia, most of the gas giants of Yamal are confined to a similar tectonic node.
In the western part of the Laptev Sea, the most promising areas for oil and gas exploration are the intersection of two rift troughs, the rifting zone of the Laptev Sea and the eastern part of the Yenisei-Khatanga trough.
Near the intersections of rift troughs there is a large Trofimov uplift, located partly in the Lena delta, and other favorable structures have been identified.
The prospects for the North Chukchi trough of the eastern sector of the Russian Arctic are assessed mainly by analogy with Alaska, based on the supposed similarity of the nature of the sections. In the northern part of Alaska, about 40 fields are known, of which about 10 are being developed. The largest field in the Arctic slope basin is the Prudhoe Bay field, confined to an uplift measuring 21×52 km2. The initial industrial reserves of this field were 1.78 billion tons of oil and 735 billion m3 of gas. The main reservoir is in Permian-Triassic sediments, Triassic sandstones and lower Jurassic units (Ivishak Formation of the Sadlerochit Group and overlying Shublik and Sag River Formations). There is a whole group of smaller satellite deposits located around Prudhoe Bay. To the west is the Kuparuk River field, oil reserves in the Neocomian sandstones are estimated at 200 million tons. In wells drilled on the shelf of the Chukchi Sea, numerous oil and gas shows are known from the limestones of the Lisburne formation in the well. Popcorn and Dimon; from the Ivishak Formation of Triassic age in well. The Klondike received influxes of oil. Numerous oil shows are noted above the Cretaceous unconformity in the rocks of the Pebble Sheil, Torok and Nanushuk formations.
In the section of the Chukchi Sea, favorable structures are identified, including large linear uplifts, which may be associated with oil and gas accumulation zones. Zones of pinchout and stratigraphic cutting are widely developed. Within the North Chukchi trough there are structural forms of many types that are favorable for oil and gas accumulation (folds, zones of lithological pinch-out, stratigraphic cutting, possibly diapiric folds), which are objects of oil and gas exploration. This trough can be considered as an oil and gas basin, which is of greatest interest in the eastern sector of the Russian Arctic. Oil and gas prospects should be associated with thrusts of the Wrangel-Herald uplift zone, where Triassic and Upper Paleozoic deposits can be exposed at accessible depths. Albian clayey rocks (Torok Formation in Alaska) serve as effective seals.
The prospects for the North Chukchi, East Siberian troughs, the Podvodnikov Basin and, possibly, the Amundsen and other ultra-deep depressions of the Eastern Arctic are associated primarily with Upper Cretaceous and Cenozoic deposits. Their thickness exceeds 10 km. In addition to the central parts of the troughs, their side zones, such as the slopes of the De Long and North Chukchi uplifts, also have potential. In addition, inversion uplifts of Paleozoic troughs where they are accessible for drilling (Wrangel-Herald uplift zone) also have high prospects.
The above review shows that the main potential gas and oil resources are concentrated in the central, most subsided parts of the Arctic sedimentary basins. The most subsided parts of the basins are predominantly gas-bearing due to the displacement of oil fluids by gases into the side zones of troughs. Oil content is associated with the Meso-Cenozoic complex of the northeastern shelf, as well as with relatively elevated blocks that have not experienced subsidence to a depth of 5-6 km in the western sector of the Arctic. These patterns within individual structures of different nature can be identified only with a regional, broad approach to the study of the Arctic and considering it as a whole over the long history of geological development
Oil is an oily liquid, usually black or red-brown in color, with a specific odor and flammable properties. Today, fuel is obtained from this substance, so we can safely say that it is the most valuable mineral on planet Earth (along with natural gas). There are oil deposits in many parts of the planet. Most of the information in this article will be devoted specifically to the locations of “black gold” deposits.
general information
Oil and natural gas usually occur in the same place, so often these minerals are extracted from the same well. “Black gold” is usually mined at a depth of 1-3 kilometers, but it is often found both almost on the surface and at a depth of more than 6 km.
Natural gas is a gas mixture that is formed as a result of long-term decomposition of organic substances. As noted above, largest deposits oil can be located all over the globe. The largest are in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, and the USA. Another thing is that not all countries can afford independent production due to high prices for developing wells, purchasing equipment, etc. For this simple reason, many deposits are sold for mere pennies.
Let's talk about where the most significant deposits of “black gold” are located.
A little about the classification of oil fields
Note that not all minerals located underground can be considered deposits. For example, if there are too few deposits, then from an economic point of view it does not make sense to bring equipment and drill a well. An oil field is a collection of oil deposits located in a certain area. The occupied area ranges from tens to hundreds of kilometers. Based on the amount of oil deposits, the deposits can be divided into five groups:
- small - the amount of minerals does not exceed ten million tons;
- medium - from 10 to 100 million tons of oil (such fields include Kukmol, Verkh-Tarskoye and others);
- large - from 100 million to 1 billion tons (Kalamkas, Pravdinskoye, etc.);
- gigantic, they are also the largest - 1-5 billion tons of oil (Romashkino, Somatlor, and so on);
- unique, or super-giant - more than five billion tons (the largest deposits include deposits at Al-Ghawar, Big Kurgan, and Er-Rumaila).
As you can see, not all mineral deposits can be classified into one group or another. For example, some deposits contain no more than one hundred tons of “black gold”. It makes no sense to open them, since it is very unprofitable.
Oil field in Russia
Currently, there are more than twenty points open on the territory of the Russian Federation where “black gold” is actively mined. Every year the number of deposits increases, but due to today's low prices for oil, opening new outlets is extremely unprofitable. This applies only to small and medium-sized deposits.
The main part of the wells is located in arctic seas, or more precisely, directly in their depths. Naturally, development due to complex climatic conditions somewhat difficult. Another challenge is getting oil and gas to the refinery. For this simple reason, there are only a few such points in the Russian Federation that carry out primary and secondary processing. One of them is the Sakhalin plume. Another plant is located on the mainland. This is due to the fact that this territory has more than one large oil field in Russia. In particular, we can talk about Siberia and the Far East.
Main oil fields in the Russian Federation
First of all, we will describe the Urengoyskoye field. It is one of the largest and ranks second in the world ranking. The amount of natural gas here is approximately 10 trillion cubic meters, and there is about 15% less oil. This field is located in the Tyumen region, in the Yamalo-German Autonomous Okrug. The name was given in honor of the small settlement of Urengoy, which is located nearby. After the discovery of the deposit in 1966, a small town grew here. The first wells began operating in 1978. They are still in operation today.
The Nakhodka gas field is also worthy of mention. Despite the fact that the amount of natural gas here is estimated at 275 billion cubic meters, it contains a large amount of “black gold”. The first mining began only 28 years after the discovery, in 2004.
Tuymazinskoye oil field
This deposit is located near the city of Tuymazy, in the Republic of Bashkiria. It was opened a long time ago, back in 1937. Oil-bearing layers lie relatively shallow, approximately 1-2 km underground. Today, the Tuymazinskoye field is one of the TOP 5 largest places in terms of oil deposits. Development began back in 1944, and is still being successfully carried out. Oil deposits are located over a large area of approximately 40 x 20 kilometers. The use of advanced methods for extracting a valuable product made it possible to extract the main deposits of minerals in about 20 years. In addition, approximately 45-50% more oil was produced from the Devonian formations than when using classical methods. Later it turned out that the amount of “black gold” in this place was greater than expected, so it is still being mined today.
Kovyktinskoye and Vankorskoye fields
The Kovyktinskoye field is located in the Irkutsk region. Since the wells are mainly located on a high mountain plateau, this place is surrounded only by taiga. Despite the fact that initially the extraction of natural gas and liquid gas condensate was discovered here, a little later oil wells appeared, which turned out to be quite rich. Of course, the main oil fields in the Russian Federation are a whole system of wells, which together make the state a leader in the production of “black gold” throughout the world.
In the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory there is the Vankor field. It cannot be called only oil, because a large amount of natural gas is produced here every year. According to preliminary estimates, the amount of oil in this field is about 260 million tons, and the volume of natural gas is about 90 billion cubic meters. There are 250 wells at this site, and the product is supplied by the Eastern Oil Pipeline.
Deposits of “black gold” in various countries of the world
It is worth drawing your attention to the fact that the largest oil fields are located not only in Russia. This valuable product is sufficient in many other countries. For example, in western Canada, in the province of Alberta, there are the largest deposits. About 95% of the entire country’s “black gold” is mined there, in addition, there are large volumes of natural gas.
Austria is also known for its rich deposits. Most of them are located in the Vienna Basin. A map of oil fields indicates that production is also taking place in Wendorf, which is located on the border with Czechoslovakia. The Aderklaa deposit is also known.
Something else about oil
No mention was made of the world's largest supplier of "black gold" - Saudi Arabia. It is enough that there are deposits of 75-85 billion barrels here (Gavar field). In Kuwait, total deposits amount to 66-73 billion barrels. Iran is constantly developing oil fields. Today it has been established that there are simply huge reserves of “black gold”. For example, five fields are estimated at one hundred billion barrels, and this already says a lot. However, it is worth noting that most of the wells belong to the United States.
Conclusion
Every month at least one new oil field appears in the world. Of course, this mineral is of great importance for humans. Fuel is made from it, used as fuel for Vehicle and so on. It is impossible not to notice that today there is a fierce struggle in the world between the United States and Russia for every new oil well. Of course, many states are trying to find an alternative to oil. If previously coal was widely used, today “black gold” is gradually replacing it. But the world's oil reserves will sooner or later run out, and then we will have to come up with something new. That is why today many famous scientists are trying to solve the problem of an alternative to “black gold”.
