Corporate Science and Technology Center for Offshore Oil and Gas Development, Gazprom VNIIGAZ, Razvilka, Russia:

M. N. Mansurov, Head of Department for Research Engineering Support of Offshore Projects, Professor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, M_Mansurov@vniigaz.gazprom.ru
A. V. Tolstikov, Head of Shelf Exploration Planning and Analysis Laboratory, Candidate of Geologo-Mineralogical Sciences
D. A. Astafev, Leading Researcher, Candidate of Geologo-Mineralogical Sciences
L. A. Naumova, Junior Researcher

The prospects and trends of accelerated preparation of license areas (LA) from the distributed stock for mining on the Sakhalin shelf are substantiated. To date, 19 hydrocarbon reservoirs of different phase compositions are discovered on the Sakhalin shelf, including large fields Lunskoe, Chaivo, Kirinskoe, Arkatun-Daginskoe, Piltun-Astokhskoe and the unique Yuznho-Kirinskoe gas field. In 2017 and 2018, respectively, Neptun (Ayash structure) and Triton (Bautin structure) oil fields were discovered. In connection with this, in view of the growing demand for both gas and liquid hydrocarbons, it remains yet of concern to expand commercial hydrocarbon resources, and a trend of the advanced expansion has appeared. Within the limits of the Kirinsky LA, the Kirinskoe gas-condensate field is explored and put into operation, and exploration of the unique Yuzhno-Kirinskoe gas and condensate field approaches completion. The Kirinskoe, Yuzhno-Kirinskoe, Yuzhno-Lunskoe and Mynginskoe fields together with the Lunskoe field form a new gas production cluster adjoining coastal infrastructure of gas and liquid hydrocarbon preparation and shipment. The cumulative gas production in the neighbor giant Lunskoe field exceeded 102 Bm³ by 2018. The second cluster is formed by the discovered and probable resources of the Ayash and Vostochno-Odoptinskoe LA likely to be developed jointly with the Piltun-Astokhskoe oil–gas–condensate field under mining. The Piltun-Astokhskoe field has reached the cumulative production of 42.2 Mt of oil, 4.5 Bm³ of gas and 0.3 Mt of condensate. In the long view on the Sakhalin, it is projected to subsequently develop weakly explored Sakhalin-6, 7, 8 and 9 blocks, as well as to examine and evaluate oil and gas potential of deep horizons of sedimentary cover and transient formation rocks, including upper parts of high-amplitude offshoots of the acoustic basement rocks. Solution of these problems requires expanding the scope of exploration and increasing the number of LA to be subject to mining in order to find new large gas and gas–condensate reservoirs.

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