Gazprom Neft becomes the 1st Russian oil company to use innovative domestically produced deep-sea stations for offshore seismic operations

Sakhalin, August 16 - Neftegaz.RU. Gazprom Neft has become the 1st oil company in Russia to use the domestically produced standalone “CRAB” seabed station for seismic surveys - Russian oil and gas companies having previously had to largely rely on international equipment in operations of this kind.

This technological solution is currently being used to conduct 3D seismic operations at the Ayashsky license block in the Sea of Okhotsk. Gazpromneft-Sakhalin will be using this technology to complete 400 km2 3D seismic operations at its Neptune field, to be followed by approximately 300 km2 at the Triton field.

Denis Manturov, Russian Minister for Industry and Trade, commented: “The CRAB project has already undergone a range of tests at Gazprom Neft facilities, with about 3 000 seabed stations having been produced so far. The 2019 polar season has seen Marine Arctic Geological Expedition’s resources being used to help Gapzrom Neft undertake common depth point (CDP) seismic works using CRAB equipment.”

Andrey Patrushev Deputy CEO, Offshore Project Development, Gazprom Neft, commented: “Technological leadership, including in implementing cutting-edge domestic technologies, is one of the company’s priorities. This innovative development, being used on Sakhalin, is allowing Gazprom Neft to undertake seismic exploration at the Ayashsky license block to a high standard, and cost effectively — this block being one of the most promising in the company’s offshore portfolio.”

The “CRAB” seabed stations form part of a joint project between Gazprom Neft, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Marine Arctic Geological Exploration and the International Tomography Centre. The CRAB seabed station is a mobile hardware and software appliance for marine seismic surveying and monitoring, used in transit zones and offshore. Built from 4-component autonomous seabed stations, serviced through the station’s container-laboratories, the CRAB station is designed for local seismic surveys and exploration at offshore hydrocarbon fields.

The Ayashsky license block in the Sea of Okhotsk is located 55 kilometres offshore from Sakhalin Island, in the north-east of the island’s continental shelf, where sea depths can reach up to 90 m. The Neptune field (with reserves in place of 415 mln tonnes (mt) of oil) was discovered in 2017, and the Triton field (with reserves in place of 137 mt) in 2018.