OIL DRILLING IN THE SHUGURSKIY RAYON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000200430008-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 17, 2013
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: February 4, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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, CLASSIFICATION SECRET/SECURITY I1FORM-T-14N ir %or
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
OATg
ACQU I RED
Tatar ASSR
?r
DATE DISTR. 9 fed 1953
Oil Drilling in the Shugurskly NO. OF PAGES 5
Rayon
DATE. OF INFORMATION'
THIS COCUBTOTT CO IAINSINFORNATIO 'AFFECTING THE NOTIONAL DEFENSE
CF THE UNITED IfATES,,VITHIN TRE_VE4NIN9 OF TITLE Fat sEcTIONs 799
ANN 794, OF THE- I.S. CODE, AS AMENBID. ITS TRANSMISTIDA OR RIVE.
I, It OF ITS COHTEHTS To DA. SCSI, TIY, AN UNAUTHORISED PERSON IS
AIHNTBITED ST LAI, THE REPADDuCTION OF TWOS Fol. IS PROHIBITED.
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NO. OF ENCLS. 4
(LISTED BELOW)
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SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
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THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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Drilling operations with each of the two methods are as follows:
(0 Turbine method. Fundamentally, the turbine method of drilling
uses the same drilling equipment as the rotary method. That
is, the rig, the derrick and the operating principle were the
same. Drilling with the turbine method, the entire drill
column and the rotary table did not turn or show evidence of
any: spinning or drilling motion. The only motion that, the
drill column possessed was the downward motion as the drilling
progressed. Attached to the extreme end of the drill
column, in the ground, were three, sometimes four, round
ball-like drills with various sized cutting edges as well as
overall sizes. These ball-like drills (shariki) were the
only circular (spinning) moving parts in this operation and
they were the parts which actually did the drilling.
Although I am unable to explain in detail the procedure,
these ball-like drills were forced to spin and drill by
having a mixture of water, sand. and soda applied to them
under a pressure of approximately 150 tons. This pressure
was supplied by a Diesel engine with an approximate 400
horsepower rating, which forceethis mixture down the drill
column through A heavy duty, reinforced rubber hose which
extended from the mixture pit to the derrick and via a steel
Pipe down the column to the ball-like drills. This mixture,
With the applied prensure behind it, forced these ball-like
drills to spin and produce the drilling action. The expended
mixture was forced up a return pipe to the mixture pit with
the aid of Auction created by another Diesel engine with the
same horsepower rating as the one indicated above and
located right next to that engine, and the cycle repeated it-
zelf. This mixture of water, sand and soda had no specific
proportions. It was tested by hand and when it Made a
smudge on a finger., the mixture was considered to be right.
The 150-ton pressure behind the mixture was the official
maximum pressure allowed by the government. Any damages or
accidents that occurred within that pressure maximum, war
ICATION SECRET/ CURITY INFORMATION
DISTRIBUTION
ORE EVI I'Thi3P0
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ET/SECURITY INI0ORMATION
not the di re?t resp:msthilAty 17,,!- the driller. However, that
preemure limit was exeedel at times, and if any damages or50X1
accidents ensued, the driller was held_directly responsible
and Any damages were rAe,Auted frm his pay, allowed
eight- Mcmths by the gcy-vernmentf-t drill and n s one well.
Barring 9.ny unforseen s6h as drill breaks
and abandonment of the site, we f.,,old finish in the alloted
time. On very rare.oecasions, finished a well before the
dead line and then reoeived a small bonus. 50X1..
(b) Rotarymethd. this method used the same basic
equipment Land operated in the exact same manner with the 50:00
exception that the rotary _table and the entire drill
c'.?1uni
frottthe top to the extreme bottom, rotated during the
rgoxi
drilling operation. 50:00
3.
4.
One Ofthe-major differeroes between theLjwo methods was that .".1
turbilleMethod was more economical than was the rotary method. 50:0
In the turbine methodsonly two Dieigel engines had to be operated
all the .time (those engines whioh pumped the mixture) whereas four
Diesel engines had to be:oprate4 all the time in the rotary method.
In the rotary'methodl two engines po.nTed the mixture both ways,
the third supplied the gwer :C,,)r the drilling and the fourth
operated the winh. It waa also a more elonmic3al and.beneficial
method be.3ause fewer drill breaks and ,ther Blowing down proce-
dures ocaarred sin:le the entire drill 4'g)lumn turned; during the
turbine method !.)f ciperation, the drill column did not turn but
was held statiow.ry wIly the drill bits turned. Another feature
which favored the turbinemethod over the rotary method was the 50X1
fact thet the turbine operation was faster. It eight .hours of
operation the turbine methcdri.J':u';',Iett the depth obtained in the
same time of r6tary operatin.
The electriciity that was produed was used wo:usively for 50:00
lighting purposes. My engineer instruetr mentioned the fact
that eleotrifAty was used for powering the drill at some fields
in the USSR. I an not offer any further information regarding
eleotril power drilling. At the field where I worked, only the
above mentioned methQds were employed.
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(a)? The retAry table. /gee Te rotary table
ecteisted a Girlu:ir apprximal;ely 1.5 m in
diameter, ?C) .mr eah ilrt sub-
divided in r. two secticK t....t were perle. From the
center cf the table one of to removnie parts had an
apprc..xirnte radius of 20 This was the drive
joint. The clther removie approximately 40 cm wide.
The remaicArg 15 cm was eoure. Jhi tale, (the entire
_arrangement rotated during rot,,y or.eration bUt remained
motionle 0,uring turblue (:.yor;Ati(1.0.
SF:CHET/SECURITY INFORMATION
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SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
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(b) Pipe tongs. ffee Enclosure lg These were all Metal pipe-
wrench-like instruments that were used for tightening and un-
tightening the pipe sections. None of the drill column
pipe sections were hand carried; but were lifted and carried
to the derrick with the aid of a cable and winch.
(c) Turbine drill bits. 4gee Enclosure(g. These drill bits were
constructed of hard s eel and formed a-triangle. At the
corners was attached a-ball-like structure with sharp,
jagged edges.. These drill bits ranged from 5.75. cm to 25.75 dui'
in size. During turbine operation, only the ball-like struc-
tures rotated in the manner described above.
Rotary drill bita.2:Nee Enc1osure(47. These bits were identi-
cal to those utilized in turbine operation with the exception
that the entire assembly rotated.
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Draw-works or winch. The winch was operated by a tiesel engine '
which was located next to thelesel engine which supplied
the drilling power. It was approximately a 2too horsepower
Diesel engine. The cable was approximately an inch and a
half thick and was wound around a steel cylinder attached to
the engine and had lines leading to the top of the derrick.
(f) Ca fivk pipe program. Steel smokestack pipe of three different
sizes was used for the casing program, When the drilling
reached the 100 m level, a 50 in length of pipe, approximately
50 cm in diameter, was sunk arid, packed with cement. At the
300 m drilling level, 150 more meters was cased with pipe
approximately 4c) am in diameter and packed with cement.
Again, at the one thousand m drilling level, 800 more meters
was cased with pipe approximately 30 cm in diameter and
packed with cement. From that point, the drilling proceeded.
withoutany casing.
Swivel and hook. ee Enclosure. The swivel and hook
was suspended, by a lock and tackle from the top of the
derrick. .The uppermost block consisted of five wheels
and the lower block had four wheels. The steel hook,
approximately 30 cm long, was attached to the lower block
from which the swivel was suspended. The all steel swivel
was approximately one m long and 80 cm wide at the widest
point. At the base of the swivel, the top portion of the
'drill column (the rectangular portion of the drill column
to which the pipe sections were connected) was attached
in such a way where in only that portion of the swivel
rotated.
(h) Kelly pipe joint. ffee Enclosure(T. This drive joint was
constructed of steel in such a manner that it fitted
onus13% around the rectangular portion of the drill column
Which was extended from the swivel hook, passed through
the rotary table' and attached to' the circular drill pipe
section. That rectangular portion of the drill column,
was approximately seven m long and was always within the
opening of the rotary table. Those portions of the rotary
table floint #1, Enc1(47 fitted snuglY:.on all sides of the
rectangular section of the drill column. When the limits
of the rectangular portion of the drill column had been
reached and it became necessary to withdraw the entire drill
column to such an extent as to enable the addition of a new
pipe section, these pieces automatically lifted out with the
withdrawing action. After the pipe section had been
attached, the rectangular portion of the drill column was
replaced in the opening, the drive Joints ffoint #1, Encl(g7
were replaced. by hand and the drilling was resumed.
SECRET iiSECAI.ITY INFORMATION
(a)
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7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
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These pumps were operated by Diesel engines with an approximate 50X11
400 horsepower rating and were almost continually operated at full
speed to produce the 150-ton pressure behind the mixture. At I
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times, the speed as increased to the limit so as to produce an 50X1'
approximate 175-ton pressure. However, this was only done
at the drillervs discretion and risk when it appeared to him 500
that more than the maximum pressure allowed was needed.
There was no specific RPM used in either method. In soft
formations, less power was used than in hard formations. Using 50X1
the rotary method, the Zaesel engines which powered th6 drilling 500
were operated at the maximum speed in hard formations. In the 500
turbine method, the Diesel engines which pumped the mixture and
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supplied the pressure were also operated at the maximum speed in
hard formations.
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all the drilling equipment was old,
Spare parts were available in sufficient quantities. The only 5WO.,
time that the operation was held up for any length of time was
when a drill broke and it became necessary to withdraw and repoxl)e
or completely abandon the site and start anew. Otherwise, spare
parts and repairs were readily obtainable. 50X1
Nothing was used to add weight and rigidity to the drilling
column.
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SECRET /SECUR 'Tr INFORMATION
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12.
13.
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
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With the present equipment, I assume that they could obtain a depth
of approximately 2500 m. However, they usually drilled to a depth
of 1800 m and stopped.. They struck oil at 1200 in but unless other-
wise-instructed from Moscow, always continued drilling to 1800 m
where-a better grade of oil was found. To the best of my -know5oxi
ledge, , they never had to drill any deeper.
End CA
-end-
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sketch 02 Rotary Table and Drill Bitsmxi
sketh of Wrench-like Instruments
sketch of. Swivel and Hook
sketh of Drive joint (Kelly Pipe Joint)
SECIRET/sEcuRnir ItRORMATION
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IDeclassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000200430008-3 *
Enolosure(A) SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
Rotary Table
60 am
20. cm
1. Removable Parts
2. Opening
Bottom View
Sketch of Rotary Table and Drill Bits
SECh'EP/SECURITY INFORMATION
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noloeure (45)
Hand Tool
Machine Tool
Closed
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
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Open
Celle attached to
winch
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Sketch of Wrench-like Instruments (pipe tongs)
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
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cnyi
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Epclogure (c)
Cable to Winch
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
Hose to drill
UAW
ate'
Hose to miature pit
.11.1?1 MM. 41.1101,
Rm.
3
S. andli 1110111111, 410
Sketch of Swivel and Hook
SECRET/SEC JRIT7f INFORMATION
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Enclosure (p) ,SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
1. Drive Joint
2. Rotary Table
3. 'Rectangular portion of drill
column
2
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Sketch of Drive Joint (cross-sectional view)
SECRET/sEcuRiTr INFORMATION
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