Mintimer Shaimiev has visited a unique drilling rig in Almetyevsk district

Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev made a working visit to Almetyevsk where he examined Russia’s unique drilling rig with a sloping mast for heavy oil refining on the Ashalchy oilfield.

OAO Tatneft Director General Shafagat Takhautdinov and Deputy Director General – Chief Geologist Rais Khisamov told about cutting edge experience of Tatarstan oilmen in heavy oil refining. In 2006, three pairs of horizontal wells were drilled for oil extraction using steam-assisted gravity drainage. When this method is applied an upper well is used for steam injection and creating the high-temperature steam chamber. On the steam chamber boundary the steam is condensing and water together with the heated oil flow downward into production well. Since its application, 28 thousand tonnes of oil were extracted with oil output being 65-70 tonnes per day.

For commercial-scale field development OAO Tatneft purchased a specialised drill Dreco-2000M with which the fourth pair of wells was drilled and the fifth one has been started on the Ashalchy oilfield.