Moscow. September 24. INTERFAX-ANI. - Oil companies, research institutes and the State Duma Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Management have drawn up a program to prevent the decline in oil recovery in Russia.

The report by adviser to the General Director of Zarubezhneft JSC Arkady Bokserman (the report is in possession of Oil news agency – ANI) said that the program concept to prevent decline in oil recovery had been drafted by a working group of the State Duma Committee, Zarubezhneft JSC, RITEK JSC, Gazprom Neft JSC, several research organizations, executive bodies, and oil companies.

The authors of the program emphasize that hydrocarbons recovery has been declining in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, both in search for new fields and in achieving maximum oil recovery from fields in development. “At the same time there’s a long-term tendency to decline in project oil recovery - a key indicator of rational oil production. About 15 billion tonnes of potential recoverable reserves have been lost, which is comparable to the total production in the history of the country so far” - the experts believe.

In the experts’ opinion, the main reason for drop in oil recovery is the lack of state system to prevent the deterioration of resource structure by using innovation enhanced recovery methods.

"Our country had a successful state program in the 1980s for hydrocarbons recovery through increasing oil recovery. However, following the collapse of the country the program was suspended. Moreover, during the administrative reform and the transfer of functions to other federal bodies the matter was almost forgotten. None of the federal bodies has clear responsibility for resolving this matter," the experts say in the report.

The authors of the program believe that a federal program to develop enhanced recovery methods is simply a must. The program should include special regulations, an authorized state organization, and promotion of modern enhanced recovery methods chosen through tenders.

According to the program outlined in the report of A. Bokserman, the decline in oil recovery could be stopped in 2010 if the program is launched this year. Enhanced recovery methods could provide additional oil production in 2010 of 8-10 million tonnes (potential production could be 60-95 million tonnes), in 2020 – 30-40 million tonnes (150-200 million tonnes).