Business news

GOMEL, 28 December (BelTA) – Two oil deposits — Vostochno-Makanovichskoye and Zapadno-Girovskoye — have been discovered in Belarus, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian industrial group Belorusneft.

Both oil deposits are located in Rechitsa District, Gomel Oblast. The first one produced oil 4,200m below the surface after an exploratory well was drilled. The open hole produces oil to the tune of over 10m3 (8.7 tonnes) per day. The reserves in place are estimated at 876,000 tonnes, with the recoverable reserves at 389,000 tonnes.

A production well is now being built at the site. It will begin operating in January 2018. After hydrodynamic studies the structure of the oil deposit will be ascertained, the potential for oil extraction will be determined, and sites for additional production wells will be chosen.

There are plans to perform large-scale 3D surveying around the Vostochno-Makanovichskoye oil deposit in 2018. Belorusneft geologists believe that the area can store from 6 to 8 million tonnes of hydrocarbons.

An exploratory well drilled in the Zapadno-Girovskoye oil deposit uncovered a 6m oil-saturated reservoir, with the average porosity of 7% and the initial hydrocarbon saturation of 74%. The parameters indicate a good potential of the area for oil extraction. The well drilling operations have been finished. The site will be prepared for and begin commercial oil extraction in Q1 2018.

The Belarusian industrial group Belorusneft was founded in 1966. The company specializes in the surveying, prospecting and development of oil fields, well drilling, oil and associated petroleum gas extraction in Belarus and a number of other countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Ecuador.