UDC

553.041

Authors

Dorfman Mikhail Borisovich
Institute of Oil and Gas, Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M. V. Lomonosov (Arkhangelsk, Russia)
e-mail: dorfmmb@mail.ru
Khinchuk Konstantin Evgen’evich
Gazpromneft (Arkhangelsk, Russia)
e-mail: KKhinchuk@gmail.ru

Abstract

This paper considers the current status of the shale gas development worldwide and provides the forward estimate of the shale potential on the territory of the European North of Russia. The definition “shale gas” means hard-to-recover reserves concentrated in siltstones, mudstones and, particularly, in shales. The shale boom in the global oil and gas production was caused by the use of the leadingedge technologies involving hydrofracturing and horizontal drilling in combination with the economic incentives at the development of unconventional reserves. In fact, the greatest share of unconventional gas comes from the shale plays of the USA. However, many countries in the world have significant production potential. Currently, many countries of all continents take massive efforts in pursuit of the shale discoveries and select the best commercial production technologies. The potential shale gas resources are evaluated in a very wide range, and reach 200 trillions m3 to rough estimates. The paper reviews the distribution of potential shale gas/oil plays on the territory of the Timan Pechora Petroleum Province. The main deposits are the Domanik formations of the Upper Devonian Frasnian. These deposits occur across the entire area of the province. The depth of sediments varies from 3 - 4 km to outcropping. It provides an excellent opportunity to study the rock both using the core data, and the outcrops. The core studies show a sufficiently high hydrocarbon content. This fact allows evaluating the oil shale development prospects and its production potential. The basic trends and exploration criteria are outlined.

Keywords

shale gas, Domanik oil, Timan-Pechora province, shale gas fields

References

1. Dmitrievskiy A.N., Vysotskiy V.I. Slantsevyy gaz – novyy vektor razvitiya mirovogo rynka uglevodorodnogo syr’ya [Shale Gas - a New Vector of the Development of the Global Oil Market]. Vestn. Otd. nauk Zemle RAN, 2010, vol. 2. NZ5001. doi:10.2205/2010NZ000014.
   
2. Timano-Pechorskiy sedimentatsionnyy basseyn: atlas geol. kart [Timan-Pechora Sedimentary Basin: Atlas of Geol. Maps]. Ed. by N.I. Nikonova, V.I. Bogatskiy, A.V. Martynov. Ukhta, 2000. 64 p.