The objective of this presentation is to provide an overview of the West Siberia Basin. Production, resources, geography, and geology will be addressed together with a series of slides of landforms, cultural aspects as well as exploration and production activities.

West Siberia is home of the world's largest basin, which currently produces approximately 6 million barrels of oil and 55 billion cubic feet of gas per day and has major undiscovered potential. As the dramatic political and socioeconomic changes in Russia take place, opportunities for foreign investment in this basin are currently being evaluated by many companies.

The basin covers over 3 million square kilometers, creating the largest flat aim on the earth's surface. From summer time temperatures of over 80° F, the swamp-like tundra and forest change by virtue of their northern continental location into one of the world's toughest operating areas with winter temperatures below -50° F in the north.

The Basin was initiated by Triassic rifting with a major sag phase existing through the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Most of the oil in the basin is reservoired in the Lower Cretaceous Neocomian sequence, while gas is primarily concentrated in the Cenomanian. Other plays exist in the Lower Cretaceous, Upper Jurassic, Mid - Lower Jurassic and Triassic to basement sequence. Plays can be generally related to regional seals such as the Cretaceous Kuznetsov and Alym shales and the Upper Jurassic Bazhenov. These regional shale units are also believed to play a key role in sourcing hydrocarbons in the basin, with the Bazhenov being most well known as an oil source. Other geologic aspects of the basin including further potential will be addressed.

The local upstream oil and gas industry structure exists as separate exploration, oil and also gas production associations. The organization of these associations together with their activities will be reviewed.

Finally, some factors recently affecting these West Siberian organizations and the activities of foreign companies will be briefly addressed.

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