At present, the issue of the oil-and-gas content of the Kurgan Region remains open. A group of researchers from Tyumen, united by the idea of discovering oil and gas fields in the Trans-Urals — Alexey A. Arsenyev and Dmitry S. Leontiev — decided to continue the search independently, investing their own time and resources in this challenging endeavor. They began to implement this idea in 2020, when they planned routes and organized expeditions to the Kurgan Region to search for surface oil and gas shows and previously drilled exploration wells. To date, the authors have published more than 40 scientific works, including 6 monographs. Over five years of research, they carried out 20 expeditions and traveled about 12,500 km by road. They visited six sites with oil and gas shows, identified the wellheads of deep exploration wells, and collected extensive evidence of oil occurrences from local residents. In addition, they compiled all collected information into an electronic database for the Kurgan Region, which they later patented. Some experts argue that the subsoil of the Kurgan Trans-Urals has no potential for hydrocarbon production, yet they do not provide convincing evidence. In this article, the authors present a historical assessment of the oil and gas potential of the southern and southeastern parts of the Kurgan Region. They also report the results of their independent field studies. The article includes a generalized map of their research routes across the region.

The studied sediments of the Tyumen suite can be characterized by difficulties in confirming oil saturation coefficients derived from well testing data, including the electrical resistivity. Alternative estimation of oil saturation using a capillary model is complicated. This is because the above-mentioned sediments have a complex deposit structure. In some instances, these deposits are limited by a conventionally accepted depth of the lower oil-saturated interval, without justifying the free water level. For this reason, we must estimate deposit heights indirectly using only core analysis data. This article aims to develop indirect methods for evaluating deposit height within the constraints of geological models. To achieve this aim, we first generalized and analyzed capillary properties under both atmospheric and thermobaric conditions. We utilized direct indicators of oil saturation from core fluorescence under ultraviolet light, to determine boundary values for reservoir properties in the zone of maximum saturation. We then selected appropriate values for residual water saturation. Using these values, we compared total porosity with effective and dynamic porosity and obtained consistent boundary values. Based on the established values for residual water saturation and available capillary pressure curves, we calculated capillary pressures and formation heights. As a result, the results show that capillary pressures ranging from 7 atm to 12 atm are sufficient to establish residual water saturation in the Tyumen suite deposits within the studied areas. These pressures correlate to reservoir heights between 90 to 160 m. This approach facilitates the estimation of oil saturation coefficients using the capillary model in reservoirs with uncertain fluid contacts. It can also serve as supplementary tool for justifying individual lenses and blocks within geological models.

This article focuses on the contemporary problem of assessing of the geochemical composition features of high-mineralized geothermal waters from the Tyumen region in comparison with the mineral waters of thermal springs from the Caucasus, Eastern Siberia, and the Far East. The importance of this study derives from the active economic use of geothermal water sources in the Tyumen region. Lack of knowledge about their hydrogeochemical characteristics can result in a significant decrease in the efficiency of investing funding resources. The authors conclude that minimal anion-cation association, with no stable associations observed among either the anions or the cations, characterizes geothermal waters of the foothill plains of the Caucasus. In addition, the concentration of sulfate, calcium, and magnesium does not correlate with other chemical parameters. In the waters of the Far East and Eastern Siberia, the anion-cation associations are stronger. In the thermal springs of the West Siberian geosyncline, particularly in the deep-lying hydrogeological complexes of the Tyumen region, a more anion-cation association and harmony content is observed. A comparison of geothermal waters from different regions of Russia highlights the distinct and balanced ion distribution in the Tyumen region waters, indicating their well-balanced composition.

The liquids output of Russia is mainly in the Siberian basins with extra resources on the Arctic shelf. The conditions in these areas are difficult from both a technical and logistical perspective, which affects both well design and field planning. The study determines the case where multilateral wells offer better technical and economic performance in this situation. A PRISMA 2020 guided systematic review included English and Russian sources published between 2017 and 2025. Databases included Scopus, Web of Science, One Petro, Science Direct, eLIBRARY ru, and CyberLeninka. Economic results were standardised by price year and discount rate. Results indicate that multilateral wells are technically feasible at high latitude. Best outcomes occur when placement is accurate, junction integrity is reliable, branch level surveillance is active, and learning reduces drilling time. Economic performance improves when production targets are met with fewer surface sites and when monitoring delays costly water handling. Value is most sensitive to oil prices, water breakthrough timing and junction reliability. Post COVID shifts in markets and logistics increased the benefit of concentrating output per site and staging decisions. Recommendations follow directly from these results. Deploy multilaterals only where junction integrity and branch diagnostics can be assured. Start with a focused pilot, quantify learning, and scale after cycle time and variance decline. Standardise economic appraisal and stress test price paths, water timing, and integrity. Mitigate Arctic logistics risk through prepositioned inventories and schedules aligned to ice and weather windows.

In the face of dwindling easily hydrocarbon reserves in Russia, optimization methods of stimulation inflow, specifically hydraulic fracturing, has become critically important. Unfortunately, traditional approach of candidate-well selection features the high subjectivity of expert assessment and the inability of conventional tabular criteria to account for hidden non-linear relationships between geological and technical parameters. Therein lies the key problem with it. This article aims to develop and validate an intelligent system for predicting hydraulic fracturing efficiency based on Big Data. The study uses machine learning implemented through a hybrid neural network architecture as a leading method. The proposed model combines fully connected layers for processing static reservoir characteristics with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) recurrent blocks for analysis of dynamic production time series. The empirical database includes data from over 2,000 hydraulic fracturing operations. The results of this study demonstrate that proposed algorithm has an advantage over traditional methods: the accuracy of classifying successful operations increased from 56% to 70%. The model showed high robustness in ranking objects by productivity potential, even with minor discrepancies in quantitative flow rate forecasting. The practical significance of this work lies in providing an effective decision-support tool. This tool will minimize the risks of inefficient investments and automates the pre-selection process. The implementation of such systems facilitates the digital transformation of the oil and gas industry within the "Industry 4.0" framework.

Commingled production from several reservoirs significantly complicates the control and regulation of field development, largely due to the need to allocate total oil production among all reservoirs perforated in a well. Currently, there is no widely accepted and satisfactory solution to this issue. The oil and gas industry increasingly employs geochemical methods as one approach to address oil production allocation. This study aims to evaluate the applicability and adaptation of geochemical methods of oil production allocation in the conditions of commingled production from two reservoirs at a field in Western Siberia. The study results confirm the applicability of geochemical methods in this field. The authors conducted oil production allocation for two wells with commingled production. The results align with the geological and physical characteristics of the reservoirs, as well as being supported by inflow profile measurements. The practical significance of this work consists in further dissemination of successful experience of oil production allocation using geochemical methods in the conditions of commingled production.

This article examines the pressing issue of improving the efficiency of semi-regenerative catalytic reforming units by increasing the cycle length between catalyst regenerations. This work also considers the possibility of using absorption purification of hydrogen-containing gas to remove hydrocarbons to minimize coke deposition on the catalyst surface. This article aims to prove the feasibility of absorption concentration within the unit and to achieve a target hydrogen gas concentration of up to 98 % in the circulating stream. The tasks involve analysis of packed contact devices and development of recommendations for their selection for this process. To solve these tasks, the authors employ a combination of calculation and analytical methods. These methods include evaluating different packing types, technological and hydraulic calculations to determine the geometric parameters of packed beds. The work compares several structured and random packing types that differ in size, material, and numerical values of key characteristics – specific surface area, and void fraction. Based on a parametric analysis performed, the authors identify a correlation between the performance of contact devices and the geometric characteristics of absorption columns. This correlation can support predictive selection of suitable packings. On this basis, the article proposes a methodological approach for comparative analysis and selection of packings based on specific mass transfer conditions, and a criterion for evaluating their applicability. In order to achieve these objectives, the authors select two most efficient types of packing that meet the process requirements. The selection considers geometric constraints, the minimization of packing volume, and the proposed applicability coefficient. This approach aids in reducing coke formation and increasing the catalyst cycle length between regenerations.

Relative phase permeability (RPP) functions play a crucial role in the development of hydrocarbon fields, these functions determine the structure of fluid distribution within the reservoir, change of the production rates of oil, water and gas. Additionally, RPP affects the duration of the field productive life. For this reason, engineers utilize RPP functions as tuning parameters in the construction of hydrodynamical model of hydrocarbon deposits. This study aims to analyze the influence of RPP functions on decision structure of oil saturation in a heterogeneous oil reservoir during cyclic waterflooding. In this article, RPP functions are modeled using power-law relationships that depend on two parameters: the RPP exponent and the maximum RPP value, defined by the numerical parameter Ci. To model the dependence of the oil recovery factor on RPP parameters, the study applies a two-dimensional, two-layer oil reservoir model. The article details calculations for both cyclic and steady-state waterflooding while varying the parameters that define oil and water RPP. The results of this study show that relative phase permeability functions control the configuration of oil saturation distribution, the imbibition rate of low-permeability zones with residual oil, and fluid flow velocity. Thus, both the oil recovery factor and the efficiency of cyclic waterflooding in a heterogeneous reservoir depend on RPP.

The relevance of this study is based on the need to engage hard-to-recover reserves of hydrocarbons, which represent a large part of Russia’s resource base, in tight deadline of limited tax exemptions. This article aims to analyze and systematize engineering technological, and infrastructure solutions that enable economically efficient development of HTRR under defined time and regulatory limits. The study methodology relies on analysis of geological and reservoir characteristics, evaluation of reservoir properties of the Bazhenov and Tyumen suites, and numerical modeling of production profiles and infrastructure throughput capacity. The results show a strong dependence of project economics on a 15-year tax incentive window, which requires accelerated drilling and infrastructure construction. The work identifies the key value sources of the project include preferential taxation, integration with the existing Nazym field group infrastructure, and the use of established horizontal drilling technologies with multi-stage hydraulic fracturing. The authors also analyze key bottlenecks in the oil production and transportation chain, such as the need to expand the Aprelskaya booster pipeline pumping station, trunk pipelines, and commercial metering units. Conclusions of this work emphasize the importance of coordinated planning of exploration, field development, and transportation infrastructure to realize the potential of tight reservoirs within a limited timeframe. The results can serve for similar projects in complex-built reservoirs in other regions.

The Department of Machinery and Equipment of the Oil and Gas Industry at Tyumen Industrial University celebrates its 55th anniversary. Over the years, the M&E department has graduated a large number of mechanical engineers with higher education. The department's educational and research work has always been focused on the needs of the oil and gas industry. The department's graduates work in virtually all Russian companies, primarily in the Tyumen region, that produce oil and gas, and in service organizations in the Russian Federation, the CIS, and in countries far abroad. Technologies and technical solutions developed at the department, aimed at increasing the efficiency of oil and gas well drilling, as well as oil and gas production, have been implemented at production facilities in the region and country.