The federal government and the administration of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug have been instructed to prepare support measures for the development of hard-to-recover gas reserves. This decision is related to the need to bring new resources into circulation for the sustainable development of the Russian gas industry.
The initiative to stimulate the production of so-called “difficult gas” in the Nadym-Pur-Taz region was a response to the gradual depletion of traditional deposits. According to experts, the reserves in the developed reservoirs will last for a long time, but for a stable future of the industry it is necessary to develop complex deposits now.
In the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, traditional deposits have already been depleted by three quarters. Now companies are forced to move to gas horizons located in the Achimov and Pre-Jurassic deposits, which are more difficult and expensive to develop. We are talking about huge volumes of resources – about 11 trillion cubic meters of gas, half of which must be made economically viable for production.
Particularly difficult are reserves on the Arctic shelf, where today only the Prirazlomnaya oil platform is producing. Gas projects in these harsh environments require special technologies and significant investments.
Currently, some categories of hard-to-recover gas already have mineral extraction tax benefits. They concern highly depleted areas, deep deposits, fields in Yamal and Gydan, as well as gas for injection into the reservoir or production of liquefied natural gas. The introduction of new preferences may face resistance, as it could reduce already declining budget revenues from the oil and gas sector.
The success of the new initiative will depend on whether a balance can be found between the interests of the state and mining companies. The practical benefit of supporting “difficult gas” is to maintain Russia’s leadership in the world market and ensure the country’s energy stability for many years to come. The implementation of the order will show how serious the authorities are about stimulating this important industry for the economy.
Source: @nefte_baza
