One of the most powerful gas fields in Russia will become a hub for development of the south of Tazovskiy district

At the moment Zapolyarnoye oil, gas, condensate field is entering a new important stage of its life activity. During three years the planned operations are being fulfilled at the facility of extractive infrastructure on its transfer to the compressor mode of natural gas production.

By the end of next year “Gazprom dobycha Yamburg”, the company-operator of the field, plans to complete construction of the first stage of booster compressor stations at three gas treatment units in Zapolyarnoye (UKPG-1S, UKPG-2S and UKPG-3S). At the same time, additional electric generating capacities are being built in the field to service the new working units. In the medium term of the next five to seven years construction of the second stage of the booster compressor stations will be started in Zapolyarnoye field.

More ambitious plans of “Gazprom” and its subsidiaries suppose gradual development of extractive and transit infrastructure in the vicinity of Zapolyarnoye. Thus, in the future Zapolyarnoye is intended to become a kind of transshipment base for development of new gas and oil fields in the south of Tazovskiy district of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

A new stage in life of Zapolyarnoye

By the end of 2020 the third booster compressor station will be put into operation in one of the Russia’s most powerful fields in gas extraction – Zapolyarnoye. In the next one or two years the station will become the last mega-object of such type in Zapolyarnoye oil, gas, condensate field. However, construction of the second stages of the booster compressor stations should be started in the field in the longer term. In other five or seven years construction of the booster compressor stations in Valanginian and subsequent development of Turonian deposits will be started.

In addition, operations on arrangement of oil rims are conducted in Zapolyarnoye field. In the long term they will be continued under the leadership of specialists of “Gazprom Neft”. In proportion as the new facilities are commissioned, the number of employees in Zapolyarnoye will grow. It is expected that construction of new hostels will be started for their accommodation in Zapolyarnoye after two or three years.

Zapolyarnoye field entered a new stage of its life activity - the stage of compressor extraction - three years ago. In 2017 the booster compressor station with the total capacity 128 Megawatt was launched at the 3rd gas treatment unit (UKPG-3S). In the following 2018 the similar station began to work at UKPG-2S. Seven gas pumping units with the total capacity 112 Megawatt are its main equipment.

As it is explained to a correspondent of the news agency “Sever-Press” in “Gazprom dobycha Yamburg”, the gas pumping units are the most complex and key element of the booster compressor station. The device can be compared to aircraft engines, which “accelerate” and “compress” the gas stream. The units installed on the booster compressor station 2S, their drive gas turbine engines and centrifugal blowers of natural gas are the creation of domestic engineering from the beginning to the end - they were produced and assembled in Russia. The automation system being used on the booster compressor station was also produced in Russia.

Construction of the third booster compressor station is being conducted at UKPG-1S. Its launch is scheduled for the fourth quarter of next year. The area of each of the two existing booster compressor stations in Zapolyarnoye field is 16.5 hectares. It is expected that upon completion of its construction the third booster compressor station will be placed on the analogous territory. Placement of the compressor stations in three Cenomanian deposits in Zapolyarnoye will allow the field to maintain annual gas extraction and maximum daily production rate even during the peak load.

At the moment the project capacity of Zapolyarnoye field is laid down in the amount 130 milliard cubic meters of gas per year. Construction of the booster compressor stations and their subsequent modernization will allow Zapolyarnoye to correspond to the given maximum level of production in the future. It should be understood that the actual gas production in the field depends on a number of transient and constantly changing factors. They include the plan and tasks of the parent company, seasonal conditions, and the level of gas consumption on the domestic and European markets.

Unlike many other older fields, Zapolyarnoye can painlessly vary the level of extraction, raising and increasing it depending on needs of the operator. Under normal conditions the actual gas extraction in the field is below the project capacity. On the other hand, even the figure in 130 milliard cubic meters per year is rather a derivative of the level of gas consumption in Russia and abroad, rather than a true indicator of maximum technical potential of the field.

In this sense, the level of gas extracted in Zapolyarnoye field depends not only on production, but also on economic and political factors. Zapolyarnoye is part of the unified gas supply system of the country. During seasons of abrupt growth in energy consumption - usually in the cold season - the field is able to produce enormous capacity. When seasonal gas consumption decreases - for example, in summer – the “taps” of Zapolyarnoye are closed.

Enlargement of extraction in Tazovskiy district

In 2019 a new electric power plant appeared in Zapolyarnoye field, already the third in a row. Of course, the launch of new generating capacities in Zapolyarnoye is a necessary consequence of the growth in extractive capacities. Already built compressor stations increased the growth of electricity consumption at the facility. In light of the upcoming launch of the booster compressor station 1S, the reserve capacity of the two existing electric power plants of Zapolyarnoye could not be enough, what necessitated construction of the new gas turbine station with four “hearts” 12 Megawatt each. In the future, the reserve and auxiliary capacities that have appeared at the facility can be used for development of the entire region surrounding Zapolyarnoye field.

Zapolyarnoye field was discovered in 1965 in the southern part of Tazovskiy district of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. For a long time Zapolyarnoye has been the only significant object of extractive infrastructure on this territory. However, after the Zapolyarye – Purpe oil pipeline passed near the field, the situation gradually began to change. Now routes of many transit projects of Krasnoyarsk Krai and Tazovskiy district pass near Zapolyarnoye.

“Gazprom dobycha Yamburg” expects that active enlargement of infrastructure of Zapolyarnoye field, as well as opening of the bridge across the Pur River will eventually make the area even more attractive for the parent company and other investors. If earlier the key gas extraction capacities in Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug was concentrated on the axis “Yamburg — Noviy Urengoy — Noyabrsk”, now this situation is changing. As the years pass, the metaphorical line drawn between these three localities will become broader.

Such prospects mean that over time Zapolyarnoye may become not only a key extractive facility, but also an important logistics and infrastructural hub for development of new hydrocarbon deposits in the southern part of Tazovskiy district. In a definite sense, Zapolyarnoye field is already playing the role of a kind of access point to undeveloped hydrocarbon deposits in the south of Tazovskiy district of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Yet exactly to connect Zapolyarnoye with civilization “Gazprom” once built a road from Noviy Urengoy to the settlement Tazovskiy.

Of course, development of new fields is a difficult, expensive and science-intensive process. Due to gradual modernization and strengthening of its extractive capacities, Zapolyarnoye will remain the main source of gas in the south of Tazovskiy district of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug for many years to come. There are simply no other extractive fields of the same size near Zapolyarnoye. Nevertheless, owing to development of infrastructure on this area, smaller facilities - primarily oil ones - are becoming more profitable.