Revival of scientific research as an innovative tool for increasing hydrocarbon reserves

Abstract

Background. One of the key components of the current critical condition of the oil and gas sector and the state's energy security has been the dismantling of Ukraine's sectoral scientific base. This situation, including that caused by Russian aggression, necessitates an urgent search for effective innovative approaches aimed at stabilizing the industry and ensuring its further development. Effective priority objectives and organizational measures are proposed for the revival of fundamental and applied scientific research as an innovative component for increasing hydrocarbon reserves for their subsequent production. The primary targets of research are considered to be regenerated hydrocarbon reserves and promising, insufficiently studied sedimentary sequences of already discovered fields from the petroleum geology perspective. The former include so-called "depleted" fields with substantial remaining reserves that continue to be successfully developed. The achieved recovery factors, particularly for oil, reach 0.75–0.95 or more of the initial geological reserves, providing strong evidence of their regeneration. The latter primarily include Permian carbonate and sulfate-carbonate deposits, as well as Bashkirian carbonate deposits of the fields.
Methods. Systematic analytical studies of published literature and electronic sources, public reports of enterprises in the industry, and the results of the authors own research.
Results. The main reasons for the critical state in the geological sector of the state, including its component – the oil and gas production complex, are highlighted. One of them is the cessation of applied scientific research into the development directions of the sector due to the liquidation of sectoral geological science. Emphasis is placed on the revival of scientific research into problematic areas of the sector as a driving force for innovation in its development. Effective ways are proposed to stabilize and increase hydrocarbon reserves in priority areas: regenerated reserves of significant deposits and promising insufficiently studied strata within known deposits. Innovative conceptual areas of priority systemic fundamental and applied scientific research are updated as the main intellectual component of the faster recovery of the sector from the critical state and urgent administrative and organizational measures to recreate scientific potential.
Conclusions. One of the key components that led to the critical state of the geological industry, including the oil and gas complex, is the liquidation of industry-specific applied science. Organizational and administrative measures are proposed by the executive bodies of the state for their implementation in a short time. In particular, the creation of a scientific unit at the State Committee for the State Oil and Gas Industry of Ukraine, the restoration of scientific institutions in related departments and organizations, the adoption of strategic decisions on the organization, coordination and direction of intellectual, scientific, material, and financial efforts of the production corporate component, measures to address the financial component of the implementation of scientific research, the involvement of academic and educational science.