Messoyakhaneftegaz receives permit to explore potential of underground gas storage

Messoyakhaneftegaz has received a licence from Rosnedra (the Federal Subsoil Resources Management Agency) to conduct geological investigations and a suitability assessment at the Zapadno-Messoyakhsky licence block for the construction and commission of an underground gas storage facility.

Messoyakhaneftegaz is a joint venture between Gazprom Neft and Rosneft.

The awarded licence will be valid until 2024 and enable the JV to evaluate the possibility of placing associated petroleum gas (APG) produced at the Vostochno-Messoyakhskoye field into the gas cap at the Zapadno-Messoyakhskoye gas and oil field.

Under the licence, the Messoyakhaneftegaz will be responsible for assessing the chances of developing an underground gas storage facility based on the results of geological investigations conducted at the site.

Messoyakhaneftegaz will also drill several gas discharge and observation wells to examine the impact of injected APG on surrounding strata, and construct a 70km pipeline along with the supporting infrastructure to deliver gas from the Vostochno-Messoyakhskoye field.

Messoyakhaneftegaz has planned to commence investigations into the Zapadno-Messoyakhskoye field gas cap this year.

The Messoyakha fields comprise Vostochno (Eastern) and Zapadno (Western) Messoyakhsky acreages.

Discovered in the 1980s, these fields are the most northern onshore fields in Russia.

The Messoyakha fields are situated in the Gydan Peninsula at Tazovsky district of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

Messoyakhaneftegaz holds the licences of both these blocks, while Gazprom Neft is the project operator.