Abstract: Oil and Gas Reserve Estimation at Year 2000

NEMCHENKO, N., M. ZIKIN*, V. POROSCUN, and I. GUTMAN, SRC RF, VNIGNI

Estimation of Russian oil and gas reserves at year 2000 faces the following objectives.

Revising the standard and legal frameworks. Market economy requires changing to the existing principals of calculation and classification of natural reserves. A proposal of new principals titled "Classification of Reserves. . ." has been developed that includes new regulations for the development of natural resources and financing mechanisms for geological exploration. Although the proposal is closely related to the existing principals of reserve estimation, an old command language of the geological exploration work that was typical for the centralized economy has been excluded.

Development of oil and gas geological exploration. Increase of complication and cost of the geological exploration work and rejection of the principals of the centralized economy require reorganizing the Oil and Gas industry. Geological exploration has three phases: prospecting, evaluation, and exploration. Reserve estimation, review, and registration should correlate with these three phases.

The trustworthiness of the geological exploration work will be increased substantially if detailed seismic exploration (or 3D seismic) is performed along with exploration drilling.

Development of a methodology for hydrocarbon reserve estimation. Modem computer technologies improve the effectiveness of reserve estimation. A main problem of the reserve estimation is the generation of the geological model. Experience, knowledge, and common sense, which a geologist gains over decades, are critical for solving this problem. Developing a system that imitates a professional method of the problem solution is the most comprehensive method of generalizing and disseminating the experience and knowledge. Several similar systems (SAND, REEF, FLUID, and others) have been developed in Russia for reserve estimation.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90942©1997 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Vienna, Austria