Messoyakhaneftegaz, a joint enterprise between Gazprom Neft and Rosneft, has obtained a licence from Rosnedra (the Federal Subsoil Resources Management Agency), for geological investigations and a suitability assessment at the Zapadno-Messoyakhsky licence block regarding the construction and commissioning of an underground gas storage facility. The licence is valid until 2024 and provides for investigations into the possibility of placing associated petroleum gas (APG) produced at the Vostochno-Messoyakhskoye field into the gas cap at the Zapadno-Messoyakhskoye gas and oil field.

Pursuant to the terms of the licence, Messoyakhaneftegaz’ responsibilities include assessing the possibility of creating an underground gas storage facility, based on the results of geological investigations into the site; drilling several gas discharge and observation wells to monitor the impact of injected APG on surrounding strata; and construction of a 70-kilometre pipeline, together with associated infrastructure to transport gas from the Vostochno-Messoyakhskoye field.

Messoyakhaneftegaz is expected to begin investigations into the Zapadno-Messoyakhskoye field gas cap in 2017.

About the Messoyakha fields

The Messoyakha fields include the Vostochno (Eastern) and Zapadno (Western) Messoyakhsky acreages. The fields were originally discovered in the 1980s and are the northernmost onshore fields in Russia at which production has already begun. The Messoyakha fields are located in the Gydan Peninsula, in the Tazovsky district of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, 340 kilometres to the north of Novy Urengoy.

Licenses for both blocks are held by Messoyakhaneftegaz, jointly owned by Gazprom Neft and Rosneft. Gazprom Neft is operator of the project. On 21 September 2016 Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, gave the instruction to commence commercial production at the field, via video link. The project is being implemented with its own independent transportation and other infrastructure.

About Gazprom Neft

Gazprom Neft is a vertically integrated oil company primarily engaged in oil & gas exploration and production (E&P), the sale and distribution of crude oil, and the production and sale of petroleum products.

The company’s proven SPE (PRMS) hydrocarbon reserves exceed 1.2 billion tonnes of oil equivalent (toe), placing it among the world’s 20 largest oil companies.

The company operates in many of Russia’s prominent oil and gas regions including Khanty-Mansiysk (Yugra), Omsk, Orenburg, Tomsk, and Yamalo-Nenets. Gazprom Neft’s major refining facilities are located in Moscow, Omsk, and Yaroslavl, and it also has refineries in Serbia. Apart from its upstream activities in Russia, the company is involved in international E&P, including projects in Iraq and Venezuela.

About Rosneft

Rosneft is the leader of Russia’s petroleum industry and the world’s largest public oil and gas company by liquid hydrocarbon production and reserves. The Company’s core operations are in hydrocarbon exploration and appraisal, production of oil, gas and gas condensate, offshore developments, refining, marketing of oil, gas and oil products inside and outside Russia, and investment activity.

Rosneft’s exploration and production geography spans across all key oil and gas provinces in Russia, namely Western Siberia, Southern and Central Russia, Timano-Pechora, Eastern Siberia and the Far East. The Company also implements projects in Kazakhstan, Algeria, Venezuela, Brazil, Vietnam, the UAE, Canada, and in the Gulf of Mexico. Offshore projects, including in the Arctic, take a special place in Rosneft’s portfolio. Rosneft has joined forces with ExxonMobil, Eni and Statoil to develop Russia’s offshore resources.