Specialists from St. Petersburg Mining University have started building a model of the first well at the Sablino training and research site, where they plan to test domestic oil and gas equipment, as well as certify it. We are talking about both production models and innovative products. Putting this facility into operation will be a major step towards achieving the technological sovereignty that Russia lost after the collapse of the Soviet Union due to the expansion of western engineering companies.
Today, many domestic enterprises have lost access to their services and are forced to seek other suppliers. But how to do it? After all, we are often talking about unique, science-intensive equipment that is very problematic to replace. In order to produce a competitive counterpart, it is necessary not only to understand the construction materials required but also, most likely, to design new production lines.
The investment in this type of project is enormous, but the return on investment is always questionable because the potential for errors that could take years to correct is enormous. Is it possible to eliminate or at least minimise risks in order to overcome the technological backwardness from post-industrial countries, which may well arise in the cornerstone industry of the Russian economy due to sanctions restrictions? All the more so since the new fields are mostly located in the Far North and their exploitation is carried out in permafrost and ultra-low temperatures.
The St Petersburg Mining University began looking for an answer to this question long before the special military operation began. In the spring of last year, the university's management decided to create a special test site simulating a real field, where samples of its own products could be tested. In the event of a positive expert opinion, they would receive the appropriate quality certificate required for commercialisation in the domestic and foreign energy markets.
"Technological backwardness puts Russia's sovereignty at risk. And if it is not overcome, the likelihood of us turning into a Western colony whose mission is only to supply post-industrial countries with cheap resources is very high. One can certainly hope for support from friendly or neutral states, but I have no doubt that for our flagship oil and gas, mining and chemical companies the other way is preferable. Namely, achieving technological independence. That is, to create conditions in which the volume of imports for construction and operation of wells, development of offshore oil and gas fields, organization of production lines for high value-added products will be minimized to acceptable values", believes Vladimir Litvinenko, Rector of St. Petersburg Mining University.
The first step in setting up the landfill was to upgrade the drilling rig, which had been purchased about 10 years ago, and replace its imported components with domestic ones. After this work was completed, the university's specialists began drilling. In the initial phase, they plan to build two wells of different depths to test both surface and down-hole equipment.
"A drilling rig is made up of a huge number of components. This includes the derrick itself, as well as the rig, the engines, the anti-blowout equipment, and much more. Well, a number of Russian plants produce quite competitive products. For example, Izhdrill makes excellent pumping units and Ufagidromash manufactures hydraulic tongs for casing, drilling, and tubing. Our task is not only to assess which elements correspond to imported counterparts and which do not, but also to understand how reliable and efficient all this will work in the system. Subsoil users are waiting for a finished product, and in order to create it, we need such facilities like air," explained Nikolay Rudnitsky, director of the Sablino training and research site.
Around the world, they are a magnet for equipment manufacturers and consumers alike. It is a kind of exhibition where the former can showcase their achievements and the latter can look at innovations that can increase the profitability of production and reduce the anthropogenic impact on the environment.
For example, at the Rocky Mountain Oil Field Test Centre in the US state of Colorado, technologies related to the production of watered-down oil are being tested. And in New Jersey, a huge reservoir was built back in 1974 to simulate environmental disasters and test sorbents designed to clean up oil spills and other liquids hazardous to nature. Even in the Netherlands, where black gold has never been pumped, there are sites with benches to assess the quality of offshore platforms.
"We feel an increased interest in our project on the part of businesses, and this is quite logical. After all, Russian manufacturers of high-tech equipment now have an excellent chance to occupy the market niche left by Western engineering companies. And many of them are eager to take advantage of this chance. Major oil and gas companies are also well aware that in today's realities the only way to maintain the same production volumes and profitability levels is to achieve technological independence. The support of our partners gives us additional confidence that the results we expect will be achieved," said Nikolay Rudnitsky.
St. Petersburg Mining University's strategic partners include such giants as Rosneft and Tatneft, but experts believe that the range of subsoil user companies whose management would be interested in participating in the project would be much wider. Moreover, the Sablino test site is not only intended to determine the level and certification of highly intelligent technical means that are used for prospecting, production and processing of hydrocarbons.
Professional development courses will also be organised here for existing specialists of extractive companies. This includes safety in the oil and gas industry. In addition, as before, students in the field will be given practical training at the site. There is no doubt that eliminating the shortage of competent engineering personnel is no less urgent for our country than regaining its technological sovereignty. Therefore, they must be solved, of course, in a comprehensive way.
