Gazprom announces record-beating natural gas discovery on Arctic shelf

According to the Russian state company, new tests conducted at the prospective Arctic field show extreme volumes of natural gas.

In the course of recent exploration activities, a commercial gas inflow of over 1 million cubic meters per day was obtained, the company informs.

That is believed to be a record-high figure for a field located on the Arctic shelf. According to the company, it proves that the productivity of the remote Arctic field is much higher than anticipated.

The discovery was made in the upper levels of the the exploration well.

Recently, the company discovered also a new deposit in the lower levels of the well.

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

It is the fourth year in a row that the Chinese rig drills 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.