The USGS World Energy Program--Russia

"Techniques and methods for resource assessment and reserve evaluation in Russia lag behind the United States and the western world. This creates a disincentive for investments in the energy sector. As part of a larger effort to improve the situation, the U.S. Geological Survey is engaged in a cooperative project with Russian counterparts so that necessary basic information will become available to western petroleum exploration, production, and service companies."

Dr. Gregory Ulmishek, U.S. Geological Survey

Russia's petroleum production, combined with proved reserves, place it as the world's largest producer of oil and gas.

Russia is large and contains many basins which are significant in terms of global energy production. In terms of energy resources, less information is available; however, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists expect Russia to represent the largest share of the world's energy resources. Almost 25 percent of the world's energy production from fossil fuels is produced by Russia, with about one-sixth of the total contributed by oil and gas production. Despite a very large resource base, production of oil and gas in Russia has been decreasing during the last several years mainly because of outdated and aging equipment, lack of investments, and political and managerial problems. Many Russian basins are considered frontier areas because of the lack of information from partially-explored areas, and in some instances, the lack of any exploration. The technical infrastructure of the Russian scientific community is rapidly advancing with the use of U.S. techniques and methods.

USGS scientists have engaged in a large cooperative program in Russia.

In early 1994, the USGS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through the U.S. Agency for International Development. The MOU relates only to oil and gas, excluding coal for future study. The purpose of the MOU is to help Russia increase efficiency and effectiveness of exploration through application of modern techniques and methods, and to provide to U.S. industry a large amount of data not presently available in the west. As a part of the MOU, USGS scientists will establish five new technical demonstration centers and will improve existing centers in Moscow and Tyumen. Two seismic processing centers, two geochemical laboratories, and one Geographic Information System (GIS) laboratory will be established, and one existing GIS laboratory will be upgraded. Installation of equipment and software is accompanied by training. Seismic processing centers will process newly-acquired and existing seismic data, but the cooperative program is not designed to underwrite new data acquisition. All data and data products are to be published in the public domain.



USGS researchers have established study priorities in cooperation with U.S. petroleum industry representatives.

Of particular interest to the U.S. petroleum industry are databases and GIS products. The cooperative program has begun development of three databases: a petroleum basin database that includes basic data on topics such as geology and petroleum production; an oil and gas fields database that includes characteristics of fields such as total depth and rock types, but not reserves; and, an exploratory wells database that includes relevant information about exploration history. In addition, two maps are being produced to support GIS activities: a map of petroleum basins with related layers such as cross sections, isopachs, columnar sections, field boundaries, at a scale of 1:2,500,000; and a geologic map of Russia in GIS format which will include all principal mineral deposits, oil and gas fields, and perhaps coal fields, at a scale of 1:5,000,000. Training for facilities in Moscow is complete, with training at other facilities to be completed in 1995.



The USGS works closely with the U.S. petroleum industry and Russian institutes.

USGS scientists have assembled a steering group of U.S. petroleum industry exploration managers who have provided advice and recommendations for study emphasis. Considerable cooperation is expected to continue with a variety of petroleum exploration and development companies and petroleum service companies. In Russia, USGS scientists work closely with scientists in the Russian National Geological and Petroleum Research Institute, the main Computer Research and Information Center, and the Institute for Geology of Foreign Countries, all located in Moscow, and the National Petroleum Exploration Research Institute in St. Petersburg. Several research projects are underway including a study of gas in continuous reservoirs and a study of the geochemistry of petroleum source rocks in the Timan-Pechora basin.



USGS scientists have selected three Russian basins for immediate study.

There are eight basins that have produced the bulk of Russia's petroleum output. Of these, three are of special interest to the U.S. petroleum industry: the Timan-Pechora basin and the West Siberia basin. Although a frontier region with significant technological challenges, the North Sakhalin basin has appeal because of its proximity to the Japanese market. The Timan-Pechora basin is underexplored and appears to be rich in petroleum. Moreover, oil could be exported at a planned marine terminal on the Barents Sea. The West Siberian basin is the largest areal basin in the world and is second only to the Arabian-Iranian basin (Gulf region) of the Middle East. It is thought to contain about 30 percent of the world's reserves of gas and is also very rich in oil. In both basins, technological challenges are fewer than in the North Sakhalin basin because oil and gas play horizons are shallow, traps are conventional, and drilling operations are not as hampered by ice movement.

For More Information:

Email: ulmishek@bpgsvr.cr.usgs.gov

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This USGS Fact Sheet can be found at <URL:http://energy.usgs.gov/factsheets/Russia/russia.html>
Maintained by L. Friedrich Last updated 16-Jan-1997