After the large-scale geological explorations in the Pacific Ocean, Dalmorneftegeophysica JSC (DMNG, a subsidiary of Rosgeo) has selected the North-Kuril sedimentary basin and preliminarily assessed its initial total hydrocarbon resources at 1,4 bln tons of oil equivalent (TOE). This was announced by Alexander Savitsky, Chief Geologist of DMNG in the report on the prospects for the development of raw hydrocarbon resource base in Far East Seas, at the "Sakhalin Oil and Gas" conference.
For several years, DMNG performed many geophysical surveys (covering more than 22000 line km) in the water area of the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea adjacent to the Kamchatka Peninsula and Kurile Islands, from federal budget resources. Through the seismic explorations in the North-West Pacific Ocean, DMNG firstly selected the Prikamchatka-Pacific and North Kuril sedimentary basins caused by Cainozoic sediments up to 10-12 km. The areal extent of these basins and their boundaries have not been finally determined yet.
The largest structure of the North Kurile basin is a DMNG expanse with an area of about 66 thous km2. The Category D2 initial total hydrocarbon resources of the DMNG expanse have been evaluated at 1,24 bln tons of oil equivalent, and of the whole surveyed part of the North Kurile oil-and-gas bearing basin – 1,4 bln tons of oil equivalent. More than 100 local structures were identified within the sedimentary basin, and 37 of them have had total localized resources to the amount of 431,1 bln m3 of gas
To identify promising local areas, it is necessary to further explore the North Kurile basin and to assess resources of the Prikamchatka-Pacific sedimentary basin.
"Geological explorations in the Russian water area of the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea are consistent with global trends of discovery and exploitation of deep sea mineral deposits," — stated Alexander Savitsky, Chief Geologist of DMNG. "The water area of the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, where slope and deep-sea basins have been developed, can have a significant hydrocarbon potential required for further growth of the oil and gas industry and social and economic development of the Far East region as a whole.”
Dalmorneftegophysica is a leader in the seismic survey services on the Far East shelf of Russia and on the international market. The company performs geological prospecting and explorations for hydrocarbon on the shelf and in the world's ocean, geotechnical survey and R&D. DMNG possesses the seismic exploration fleet, computer center and geological survey, which makes it possible to promptly perform the whole range of necessary operations.
