Giant gas potential found in Caspian Sea

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EDT 1974 · Offshore; (United States)

OSTI ID:6983936

Bakke, D R

Russia's offshore Caspian petroleum industry is hoping for more generous government allocations for offshore drilling. There has been an enormous increase in Caspian's gas output, which has more than doubled since 1970, and totaled 244 billion cu ft last year despite severely limited funds and antiquated technology. A recent study of the S. Caspian Sea Basin estimates this offshore area's potential reserves at a minimum of 5 trillion cu m (176.5 trillion cu ft) and perhaps as much as 10 trillion cu m (353 trillion cu ft). Seismic exploration has located more than 100 structures favorable for commercial accumulations of hydrocarbons in undrilled areas of the S. Caspian. One of the problems of this area is the depth of the pay zones. Whereas the pay at the Neftianye Kamni oil field is comparatively shallow (600 to 5,400 ft), at the Bakhar offshore field, gas-condensate formations go well below 16,000 ft. The deepest producing well in the Caspian Sea is 17,165 ft, with drilling under way below 18,400 ft. Last Aug., the Russians announced that the first Caspian class jackup rig had been launched at Astrakhan, at the N. end of the Caspian Sea near the mouth of the Volga River. Plans call for 10 of these standarized jackup rigs to be built and launched in the near future.

• OSTI ID: 6983936
• Journal Information: Offshore; (United States), Journal Name: Offshore; (United States) Vol. 34:2; ISSN OFSHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030100* -- Natural Gas-- Reserves-- (-1989)
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
ALLOCATIONS
CASPIAN SEA
DRILLING
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NATURAL GAS FIELDS
OFFSHORE OPERATIONS
PRODUCTION
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
RESOURCES
SEAS
SEISMIC SURVEYS
SURFACE WATERS
SURVEYS
WELL DRILLING