It is noted that a substantial portion of Russia’s oil output stems from fields characterized by challenging to recover reserves, commonly referred to as TRIZ. This assessment was presented by Igor Shpurov, who chairs the State Reserve Commission, during a conference held in Novosibirsk. The information originated from Interfax.
The speaker highlighted that profitable reserves now represent roughly 70% of the technically recoverable portion, suggesting that actively engaging TRIZ development could markedly boost overall production.
Shpurov stated that technologies enabling a production increase from these difficult reserves by at least one third could yield a positive balance of about 18.4 billion tons of oil. This perspective underscores how innovation in recovery techniques might translate into sizable gains for the national energy portfolio.
Over the past decade, tax incentives supporting TRIZ have driven tangible results, with approximately 1.2 billion tons of oil extracted under these measures. Between 2008 and 2019, the share of oil produced using new technologies climbed from 35% to 65%, illustrating a clear shift toward technologically assisted extraction.
Experts argue that truly transformative advances are required to unlock unconventional TRIZ resources, including oil source rocks that lack conventional reservoirs. The chairman of the State Reserves Committee emphasized the need for fundamentally new technologies to access these deposits.
In 2023, the TRIZ designation broadened to include Paleozoic deposits that demand specialized exploration methods. The expert observed a transition in policy support from tax incentives to non-tax incentives, particularly aimed at establishing technological test sites where innovations can be evaluated in real-world conditions.
There have also been remarks from Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding geopolitical dynamics, including interpretations of U.S. efforts to influence global hydrocarbon markets.
Analysts have previously anticipated continued growth in the production of hard-to-recover oil within Russia, highlighting ongoing strategic emphasis on advancing recovery technologies and expanding the country’s energy capacity through innovation. (Interfax)