During the first half of 2018, Salym Petroleum Development (SPD), a 50-50 joint venture of Shell and Gazprom Neft, completed testing of two new pool wildcats in the Verkhne-Salymskoye license in Khanty-Mansiysk (Yugra) Autonomous Okrug (Western Siberia). Verkhne-Salymskaya 65, spudded in early December 2017, reached its final TD of 3,300 m in early January 2018. Verkhne-Salymskaya 58, spudded in mid-February 2018, reached its final TD of 2,600 m in early March.  In March, the company reported a new pool in the Cherkashinskaya Formation (Neocomian) after testing oil and water at rates of 598 b/d and 31 b/d, accordingly, from the interval 2,580-2,593 m (AS6) in Verkhne-Salymskaya 65. The same reservoir was perforated in Verkhne-Salymskaya 58. Oil at a rate of 1,151 b/d was obtained from the interval 2,267-2,278 m.  Background Information    SPD was created in 1996 to develop the Salym Group of fields in the southwestern part of the Middle Ob Province. The Salym Group comprises three fields: Salymskoye Zapadnoye, Verkhnesalymskoye and Vadelypskoye with 2P oil reserves of some 1.3 Bbbl.
Russia (West Siberian B.) ? op. by SALYM (100.0%) in Salymskoye Zap. block