An automated robotic drilling complex has been put into operation at Gazprom Neft's oil fields in the Chunskaya region of eastern Siberia.
Thanks to the automation of complex processes, the new technology offers higher speed, greater accuracy, and increased safety during drilling, according to the company's press service. Previously, these technologies were only used in extraction operations on the continental shelf.
Robotic equipment can perform drill string assembly, disassembly, lifting, and lowering operations without human intervention, accelerating well drilling operations by approximately one-third. The robotic system also provides a high level of operational safety and eliminates strenuous manual labor. Thanks to its flexibility and versatility, the robotic component of the platform can be integrated with other drilling rigs.
Gazprom Neft plans to equip six additional fields in western and eastern Siberia with similar drilling platforms in 2026.
Vladimir Krupnikov, General Director of Gazprom Neft-Zapolyarya, said that the company now relies on digital models and advanced information technologies in more than 60% of its hydrocarbon extraction operations, stressing that the automation of well drilling is an essential part of the program to digitize production processes.
He added that this technology will contribute to increasing the accuracy and speed of the complex operations on which the efficiency of reservoir development depends, in addition to reducing reliance on manual labor and ensuring the highest levels of safety, which is a top priority for the company.
It should be noted that Gazprom Neft is one of the leading oil companies in Russia, operating in the fields of oil exploration, production, refining and marketing of petroleum products. It is also one of the first companies to have started extracting oil on the Russian continental shelf in the Arctic region.
In 2025, total hydrocarbon production, including the company's share in joint ventures, reached 130.7 million tons of oil equivalent, and oil refining volume amounted to 43.9 million tons. According to 2020 data, the volume of petroleum products marketed through premium distribution channels reached 23 million tons. At the end of 2024, the company employed 86,000 people. The company's headquarters are located in Saint Petersburg.
