By Tatiana Bolgovskaya
The operation has been conducted at the western deposit, located over the waters of Lake Maracaibo (using a platform). Results currently correspond to expectations: 96 barrels of oil daily. If extraction remains stable over the next few months, two more such sites could be set up by the joint enterprise.
During the testing stage, geophysical research was organised, in addition to repair works, by specialists from Belarusian-Venezuelan Petrolera BeloVenesolana. The company’s Science and Innovation Department organised the hydraulic fracturing, with help from outside contractors.
Belarus holds a 40 percent share in joint venture Petrolera BeloVenesolana (held by Belorusneft). Set up in December 2007, it currently employs over 50 Belarusian specialists, who have technological, material-technical and scientific skills, having worked at Belorusneft. Jointly with their Venezuelan colleagues, they work at seven oil sites and six of gas; around 1.3m tonnes of oil and 1bn cubic metres of gas are expected to be extracted in Venezuela this year.
Moreover, our Belarusian specialists are involved in the capital repair of oil wells, and offer other services relating to the development of deposits and enhancement of oil extraction. The joint venture has created a Department of New Technologies and Innovations, which is involved in launching technologies developed at Belorusneft’s BelNIPINeft Research and Design Institute. Meanwhile, the Belarusian-Venezuelan seismological research company, Sismica BeloVenesolana, is conducting seismological works in the Orinoco River basin.
