Subject: Comments to Draft Bridging Document between the Oil and Fuel Gas Reserves and Resources Classification of the Russian Federation of 2013 and UNFC-2009: from State Commission of Ukraine on Mineral Resources
10 August 2016
The draft Bridging Document is prepared by the State Commission of Mineral Reserves of the Russian Federation and the Technical Advisory Group of the Expert Group on Resource Classification of Committee on Sustainable Energy of Economic Commission for Europe.
The State Commission of Ukraine on Mineral Resources has considered the published Draft Bridging Document between the Oil and Fuel Gas Reserves and Resources Classification of the Russian Federation of 2013 and the United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral Reserves and Resources 2009 (hereinafter, UNFC-2009) and noted the following:
Based on our analysis, the State Commission of Ukraine on Mineral Resources submits an offer for consideration of the Expert Group on Resource Classification of the Committee on Sustainable Energy of UNECE to approve presented Draft Bridging Document between the Oil and Fuel Gas Reserves and Resources Classification of the Russian Federation of 2013 and the United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral Reserves and Resources 2009.
Comments from State Commission of Ukraine on Mineral Resources to Draft Bridging Document between the Oil and Fuel Gas Reserves and Resources Classification of the Russian Federation of 2013 and UNFC-2009.
10 August 2016
The draft Bridging Document is prepared by the State Commission of Mineral Reserves of the Russian Federation and the Technical Advisory Group of the Expert Group on Resource Classification of Committee on Sustainable Energy of Economic Commission for Europe.
The State Commission of Ukraine on Mineral Resources has considered the published Draft Bridging Document between the Oil and Fuel Gas Reserves and Resources Classification of the Russian Federation of 2013 and the United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral Reserves and Resources 2009 (hereinafter, UNFC-2009) and noted the following:
- The Russian Federation Classification of reserves of oil and combustible gases (hereinafter, RF2013) establishes unified principles for assessment and state accounting of reserves and resources of oil, combustible gases and gas condensate.
- In accordance with RF2013, the Categories of hydrocarbon quantities in subsoil are characterized by the extent of commercial project development (F-axis in UNFC-2009) as well as by the degree of geological knowledge (G-axis in UNFC-2009). Besides that, the Category contains information regarding its relation to recoverable or non-recoverable quantities and profitability of recoverable hydrocarbon quantities.
- According to RF2013, the term “reserves” is used only for the recoverable volumes associated with all discovered hydrocarbon accumulations, whereas the term “resources” is applied to quantities potentially recoverable from undiscovered accumulations.
- Significant modifications of such key terms definition as “Categories”, “Reserves” and “Resources” should be estimated as a creative invention of Russian Geologists, which vastly reconciles the conceptual framework of RF2013 with UNFC-2009 and PRMS (SPE).
- Meanwhile, it should be noted that there is a range of uncertainty in UNFC-2009, associated with quantities within the reservoir and recoverable quantities: from the high level of confidence (G1) to low (G3). In this regard, comparing RF 2013 and UNFC-2009 Classifications in geological knowledge (figure 1) G1 Category in UNFC-2009 maps to eight categories in RF2013, G2-G3 Categories maps to five categories in RF2013, G4 Category maps to eight categories in RF2013. Presumably, under the more detailed comparison at the sub-categories level, the conformity will be close to unequivocal.
- On the contrary, in many instances, the same RF2013 Category maps to more than one location in the E–F matrix as shown in Figure 3. Thereby, the purpose of Section IV of this Bridging Document is to clarify the correct correlation between Sub-classes in UNFC-2009 and RF2013 Categories.
- In this context, the Table of mapping of RF2013 and UNFC-2009 Categories which was published in Report of I.V. Shpurov, CEO of FBI “GKZ”, “New Russian Federation Classification of hydrocarbon Reserves and Resources as the basis for integration into unified global economic space” seems to be very interesting. But mentioned Table of mapping was not provided in this Bridging Document.
- Marked complexities for harmonization of classifications should be considered as areas for further improvement and convergence of their conceptual framework that will undoubtedly occur over time.
Based on our analysis, the State Commission of Ukraine on Mineral Resources submits an offer for consideration of the Expert Group on Resource Classification of the Committee on Sustainable Energy of UNECE to approve presented Draft Bridging Document between the Oil and Fuel Gas Reserves and Resources Classification of the Russian Federation of 2013 and the United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral Reserves and Resources 2009.
Comments from State Commission of Ukraine on Mineral Resources to Draft Bridging Document between the Oil and Fuel Gas Reserves and Resources Classification of the Russian Federation of 2013 and UNFC-2009.