The participant companies of the Sakhalin-1 consortium announce that all the works for the start of the commercial oil production at the Arkutun-Dagi field were conducted in strict compliance with the approved schedule, determined technological specifications and subject to all the industrial and ecological safety legislations. According to Rosneft press center, Berkut platform started first oil supplies.
Production output from the field at planned capacity will reach 4.5 mln t. a year.
In the next 10 years due to production at the Berkut platform estimated additional tax revenues to the state and regional budget will amount about usd 9 bln.
Rosneft Head Igor Sechin said that: “Berkut (“golden eagle”) gave us its first Sokol (“falcon”) – the light low-sulphur oil produced at the Sakhalin shelf. Stability, the strict compliance with all obligations in terms of schedule and quality, is the criteria of proficiency and efficiency of work”.
In his turn ExxonMobil Development Company Vice-President James. K. Flood said: “I congratulate the team for the safe and successful development of Sakhalin-1’s third field, Arkutun-Dagi. The start-up of this field will continue to add to the benefits the community is receiving through the development of the Sakhalin-1 project”.
The field, located off the northeast coast of Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East, will bring total daily production at Sakhalin-1 to more than 27 thousand tons The other two fields – Chayvo and Odoptu – began production in 2005 and 2010, respectively.
Production from Sakhalin-1’s Arkutun-Dagi field will be routed through the existing Chayvo onshore processing facility on Sakhalin Island and delivered through pipelines to the De-Kastri oil export terminal located in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia.
Arkutun-Dagi field is located about 25 km from the north-eastern shore of the Sakhalin island in the sea of Okhotsk. According to the development simulation model, the existing world's most powerful drilling platform provides for well drilling with horizontal displacement not less than 7 km. As a result, the platform virtually appears as a giant multiple well platform, which allows maximum efficient offshore development.
Sakhalin-1 is the first large-scale shelf project carried out in the Russian Federation on the PSA conditions (executed in 1996).
Shares of the project participants: Rosneft - 20%, ExxonMobil – 30%, SODECO – 30%, ONGC Videsh Ltd. – 20%.