Messoyakhaneftegaz exloring potential for underground gas storage

MOSCOW -- Messoyakhaneftegaz, a joint enterprise between Gazprom Neft and Rosneft, has obtained a licence from Rosnedra (the Federal Subsoil Resources Management Agency), for geological investigations and a suitability assessment at the Zapadno-Messoyakhsky licence block regarding the construction and commissioning of an underground gas storage facility.

The licence is valid until 2024 and provides for investigations into the possibility of placing associated petroleum gas (APG) produced at the Vostochno-Messoyakhskoye field into the gas cap at the Zapadno-Messoyakhskoye gas and oil field.

Pursuant to the terms of the licence, Messoyakhaneftegaz’ responsibilities include assessing the possibility of creating an underground gas storage facility, based on the results of geological investigations into the site; drilling several gas discharge and observation wells to monitor the impact of injected APG on surrounding strata; and construction of a 70-km pipeline, together with associated infrastructure to transport gas from the Vostochno-Messoyakhskoye field.

Messoyakhaneftegaz is expected to begin investigations into the Zapadno-Messoyakhskoye field gas cap in 2017.