4D Seismic: How to Produce More Without Drilling Extra Wells ⬅️

Sakhalin Energy, operator of Sakhalin-2 (part of Gazprom), has developed a data processing algorithm and industry methodology for 4D seismic monitoring for offshore fields. The recommendations have been approved by the State Reserves Commission, and the document is open and available to other subsoil users.

1️⃣ What the technology provides
4D seismic tracks changes in the reservoir as the field is developed. This helps to more accurately place new wells, reduce operating costs, and increase the recovery factor. This is especially important for the shelf: drilling opportunities are limited, and the cost of error is significantly higher.

2️⃣ Result in barrels
For the first time in Russia, 4D seismic was applied at the Astokh area of the Piltun-Astokhskoye oil and gas condensate field of the Sakhalin-2 project. The first survey helped locate an oil-saturated area, where a horizontal well was drilled that is still producing, yielding an additional 9.5 million barrels. Subsequent monitoring cycles optimized drilling and provided about 7 million more barrels.

3️⃣ Done without Western contractors
In the baseline survey of 1997, almost all work was carried out by foreign contractors, while in 2025 no Western specialist participated. According to Senior Geophysical Advisor Olga Timofeeva: “everything was done by the hands and minds of Russian experts.”

Video: SLB

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