雷斯塔能源：穆尔塔成全球产量增长最快页岩区块

　　中国石化新闻网讯 据全球能源新闻网10月8日报道，根据雷斯塔能源（Rystad Energy）公司的一份报告显示，近几个月来，阿根廷瓦卡·穆尔塔（Vaca Muerta）页岩区块的油气产量和油井活动水平强劲增长，已成为世界上增长最快的主要页岩盆地。创纪录的油井完工并投产（POP），推动该区块的油气产量在7月和8月达到新高，并为年底前进一步增长指明了方向。瓦卡·穆尔塔的这种激增有望将阿根廷全国石油产量提升至多年来的最高水平，该地区的竞争力也与美国盆地相比有所提高。

　　尽管9月份的完整数据尚未公布，但毫无疑问，2021年第三季度瓦卡穆尔塔投产的水平井数量将创下新纪录，据雷斯塔能源估计，投产的数量将达到约73口油气井。此前创下的纪录是在2018年第四季度，当时有59口井。

　　瓦卡·穆尔塔油区在7-9月期间可能会有超过50口井投产，而气井POP活动本季度可能会保持在20口至25口之间。虽然这意味着仅油井数量就创造了另一个记录，但天然气井的数量在过去一直更高。

　　这一活动激增导致该盆地的石油日产量在7月份首次超过了16万桶，当月日均达到16.2万桶，随后8月份也同样强劲，日产量达到16.1万桶。直到2020年12月，瓦卡穆尔塔的石油日产量从未超过12万桶。据雷斯塔能源预计，未来三个月产量将再增长25%，年底产量将接近2万桶/日。

　　阿根廷全国石油产量在20世纪结束前达到了近85万桶/天的峰值，此后一直在稳步下降。由于8月的日均产量接近5.25万桶，代表完全恢复到2020年第一季度疫情前的水平，瓦卡穆尔塔的预期增产可能有助于在12月前将该国的月产量提高到56万桶/日——这是自2012年10月以来从未见过的基准。

　　瓦卡穆尔塔的天然气产量增长更为可观，从5月到8月，每月都在连续增长。在2020年11月-2021年4月的6个月期间，日产量从8.9亿-9.2亿立方英尺飙升至8月份的近16亿立方英尺的新高。

　　虽然瓦卡穆尔塔项目始于几年前的一个关键区域——洛马·坎帕纳（Loma Campana）区块，但该盆地正在见证整个石油区核心部分作业区全面开发的开始。阿根廷运营者YPF在其洛马坎帕纳地区以外的地区交付了创纪录的量。壳牌、泛美、TecPetrol和PlusPetrol是主要生产商在7月至8月达到创纪录量的例子。

　　在天然气产量方面，TecPetrol和YPF是过去5个月显著增长的关键驱动因素，尽管泛美和PlusPetrol的增长也促成了8月份创纪录的产量。

　　郝芬 译自 全球能源新闻网

　　原文如下：

　　RYSTAD ENERGY – VACA MUERTA QUICKEST GROWING SHALE PLAY IN THE WORLD

　　Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale play, having registered strong growth in oil and gas production and well activity levels in recent months, has emerged as the world’s fastest growing major shale basin, a Rystad Energy report shows. A record number of wells were completed and put on production (POP), propelling the play’s oil and gas output to new highs in July and August, and charting a course for even more growth by year-end. This surge from Vaca Muerta is poised to lift Argentina’s country-wide oil production to the highest level in years, with the play’s competitiveness also rising against US basins.

　　Although complete data for September is not yet available, there is no doubt that the third quarter of 2021 will set a new record for the number of horizontal wells put on production in Vaca Muerta, with Rystad Energy estimating that the POP count will reach around 73 oil and gas wells. The previous record was in the fourth quarter of 2018, when the count reached 59 wells.

　　The Vaca Muerta oil zone will probably see more than 50 wells put on production between July and September, while gas well POP activity will likely remain in the range of 20 to 25 wells for the quarter. While that means another record for oil wells alone, the gas well count has been higher in the past.

　　This surge of activity caused oil production from the basin to rise beyond 160,000 barrels per day (bpd) for the first time ever in July, reaching an average of 162,000 bpd for the month, followed by an equally strong August that saw production at 161,000 bpd. For context, Vaca Muerta’s oil output had never exceeded 120,000 bpd until December 2020. Rystad Energy expects production to increase by as much as another 25% over the next three months, to close the year at nearly 200,000 bpd.

　　Argentina’s country-wide oil output peaked at nearly 850,000 bpd before the close of the 20th century and has since been in steady decline. With August production averaging nearly 525,000 bpd, representing a full recovery to the pre-Covid-19 levels seen in the first quarter of 2020, the expected additions from Vaca Muerta could help elevate the country’s monthly output to 560,000 bpd by December – a benchmark not seen since October 2012.

　　Natural gas output gains in Vaca Muerta have been even more impressive, expanding sequentially every month from May through August. Production soared to an all-time high of almost 1.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd) in August, from between 890 million and 920 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) during the six-month period from November 2020 to April 2021.

　　While the Vaca Muerta story really began several years ago from one key area – the Loma Campana block – the basin is witnessing the start of full-scale development across the whole operating area in the core part of the oil zone. Argentine operator YPF has been delivering record-high volumes outside of its Loma Campana area. Shell, Pan American, TecPetrol and PlusPetrol are examples of key producers achieving record-high numbers in July-August.

　　With respect to gas production, TecPetrol and YPF were the key drivers of the outstanding growth seen over the past five months, though gains by Pan American and PlusPetrol also contributed to the record-high volumes achieved in August.