Russian institutes to assess Kara Sea cores for hydrocarbon potential

Dec. 2, 2020
Rosneft Oil Co. has drilled shallow stratigraphic wells in the northern Kara Sea offshore Russia.

Offshore staff

MOSCOW – Rosneft Oil Co. has drilled shallow stratigraphic wells in the northern Kara Sea offshore Russia.

The main purpose of the campaign was to collect core samples for geologists to analyze in order to determine the age (stratification), composition and conditions of formation for Arctic shelf rocks and thereby to assist understanding of the oil and gas potential in the North-Kara basin.

Rosneft used the survey drillship Bavenit to drill eight wells to a depth of 90 m (295 ft). They were the first in the region and the northernmost on the Russian shelf to date, the company claimed.

In total, 6.5 metric tons of core were recovered, and the drilling technology was tested in deposits with varying properties (i.e. rocky terrigenous, carbonate) and in more challenging dispersion and semi-core deposits.

Special drill bits were used for the rocky and semi-rocky formations.

All core samples will undergo lab-ting by Innopraktika and the Lomonosov Moscow State University Faculty of Geology.

12/02/2020