With Chinese rig, Gazprom makes another major Kara Sea discovery

The exploration well N5 was drilled by the semi-submersible rig Nanhai VIII (also known as Nan Hai Ba Hao), operated by China Oilfield Services Limited (COSL).

After western sanctions hit Russia’s Arctic offshore petroleum businesses in 2014, the Chinese rigs have been a frequent sight in Murmansk and the Kara Sea.

The drilling this summer and autumn made success, according to Gazprom.

“As a result of drilling and testing of an exploratory well, commercial gas inflow was obtained with a flow rate of about 600,000 cubic meters per day,” the partially state-owned gas company informs.

This additional finding at the huge Leningradskoye field is the fourth major discovery on the shelf west of the Yamal Peninsula over the last two years.

“The field’s commercial value is now much higher than before,” Gazprom states.

In 2019, Gazprom discovered the Dinkov and Nyarmeyskoye fields in the Kara Sea, and earlier in 2020, a discovery was made at the 75 Let Pobedy field.

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This is the fourth year in a row this Chinese rig is active in the Kara Sea.

In 2017, it also drilled at the Leningradskoye license, while it in 2018 drilled at the nearby Rusanvoskoye license (Dinkov field). In 2019, the rig was back at Leningradskoye license, then making a finding that upgraded field resources to as much as 1,9 trillion cubic meters, as reported by The Barents Observer.

The Yamal Peninsula holds Russia’s largest natural gas reserves and new findings in the Kara Sea can be added to the existing network of pipelines to central Russia and further to Europe, like via the North Stream pipes.