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| Technology Advances Key To Russia’s E&p Future Significant changes and progress have been achieved in the Russian oil and gas sector over the last two years but the need to implement new technical advances remains as great as ever, especially in the current uncertain economic climate. Russia's "oil miracle" has seen the country's output increase dramatically since 1998, achieving double digit growth annually from 2000 to 2004. This impressive growth was achieved through the application of innovative drilling and downhole technologies such as pumps, fracs and floods. But if this miracle is not to run out of steam then the country's Exploration & Production industry must regroup and reinvent itself, and apply a new generation of technologies to both new and existing fields. These were just some of the incisive viewpoints expressed by influential figures from the global upstream industry at Russia's leading E&P technical event, SPE Russian Oil and Gas in Moscow. The keynote speaker in the opening day Plenary Session was Professor Valery (Isaakovich) Graifer, Chairman of the Board of Directors JSC Lukoil, and General Director of JSC RITEK OJSC Lukoil. Talking in front of a packed auditorium, Prof. Graifer highlighted the "significant progress and changes" over the last two years made by the industry in Russia including key areas such as eastern Siberia, both in terms of new finds and the ongoing advances in transportation structures and facilities. He also urged foreign companies to continue with their joint ventures with Russian companies, working together collaboratively. He added that the current fall in commodity prices and global financial upheaval were putting new pressure on both the oil sector and the Russian economy, and that there was therefore still "a great need for technical advancement", particularly in technology areas such as enhanced oil recovery. Russian oil industry must apply new generation of technologies The plenary session was chaired by Iskander Diyashev, Chairman and Chief Technology Officer of IRDC and featured Thane Gustafson, Senior Director, Russian and Caspian Research, for Cambridge Energy Research Associates; Yury Podturkin, General Director of the State Commission of Reserves; and Anatoliy Brekhuntsov, General Director of SibNAC. Mr Gustafson highlighted as "Russia's oil miracle" the impressive rise in the country's output since 1998 – seeing double-figure increases annually between 2000 and 2004 - with western Siberia playing a significant role. That rise was, he said, due to production from a relatively small number of new fields as well as slower declining output rates from hundreds of other existing developments, and was thanks to the application of drilling and downhole technologies such as pumps, fracs and floods. However the impact of these advances is now slowing. "It is time (for the Russian oil industry) to retool, regroup, and reinvent itself and apply the new generation of technologies, " said Mr Gustafson. A plenary session on Day 2 saw technical experts discuss recent technological improvements in the Russian oil and gas sector and what is required in the future. A once-again full auditorium heard one of the speakers, Prof Mars Khasanov, Director for Science at Russian oil and gas major Rosneft, outline some of the most pressing circumstances facing the sector such as declining reserves, deteriorating reserves quality, the rising need to identify and access unconventional hydrocarbons and the shortage of skilled personnel. Russia's need for technology is even more acute than that being experienced internationally because only 35% of 50 identified key technologies in use today are being applied in Russia, he stated. He went on to describe Rosneft's own response, such as the establishment of a "system of innovation" to identify and speed up the adoption of new technologies. The results are encouraging, he added, with 34 new technologies tested in the last two years as a result of the program, and five new technologies implemented. SPE Russian Oil and Gas featured plenary sessions and peer-reviewed papers presented in technical sessions using simultaneous translation, as well as other highlights including a sold-out Topical Luncheon featuring a presentation about the world-class Shtokman Field by Herve Madeo, First Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the development. Children of Oilmen Awards On display in the exhibition area, meanwhile, was artwork from children whose parents work in the Russian oil and gas sector. The display featured winners of a nationwide contest titled 'We are the Children of Oilmen'. This is the first time a national contest such as this has been held highlighting the children of parents who work in the Russian oil and gas industry. The main goal of the contest was to attract young people towards a career in the petroleum industry, as well as to maintain family traditions. The oil and gas sector worldwide is of course facing a scarcity of fresh talent. The best works will participate in the nationwide 'Images of Science 2008' contest and will be displayed for a year at Russian and international scientific and technical events. New venue for SPE Russian Oil and Gas 2010 Show organisers Reed Exhibitions Ltd. and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) have also confirmed that the next conference and exhibition in October 2010 will be held in a new exhibition hall at the VVC venue in Moscow. The 2008 conference and exhibition was held in Pavillion 57 on the same location but for 2010 it will move into a new, purpose-built pavillion at the VVC. This will feature the latest exhibition facilities available to further enhance the service for exhibitors and improve the experience of delegates and visitors. Attendees from more than 50 countries came to last month's show, with the official total attendance put at 3,391 for the three days, with nearly 1,000 attending the conference alone. The total number of exhibiting companies at this year's event was 111. write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Exhibition News :: home page |