Hydrocarbon deposits in the Russian sector of the Caspian Sea are characterized by a considerable variety of traps in a wide stratigraphic range, substantial lateral substitution of lithological and reservoir properties, variation of structural and morphological characteristic, fluid saturation and hydrocarbons phase composition. Exploration and development of these fields are complicated by the fact that they are located in challenging ice conditions zone (in wintertime), in the region with the strictest environmental requirements where LLC "LUKOIL" is the pioneer in offshore projects. To overcome successfully geological, technical and climatic difficulties LLC "LUKOIL – Nizhnevolzhskneft" supported technically by "Schlumberger" applied a number of unique technological solutions concerning drilling muds, stem assemblies, geo-steering and geomechanics, wireline and mud logging, hydraulic fracturing, high-performance drilling bits, as well as intelligent completions, application of up-to-date high-performance tools, advanced software, methods of processing and interpretation of geological and geophysical data. Overview and analyze these solutions is the objective of this article. Availability of theoretical and practical resources while implementing the project, mutually-beneficial cooperation of all interested parties together with innovative decisions supported by corporate management became a key point of success in fulfillment of capital-intensive projects by LLC "LUKOIL Nizhnevolzhskneft" in the Russian sector of the Caspian Sea. It is obvious that there are quite serious reasons for further application of new technologies according to proven algorithm: problem statement-finding solutions – planning- implementation- analysis of obtained results, recommendations working-out, and establishment of close partnership relations between Project operator and multifunctional engineering company. Further improvement of drilling technologies, optimization of hydrocarbon production, provision of the necessary facilities for field development, adaptation of DOF concept, geological monitoring while well drilling, application of new scientifically dereived, technologies and advanced logging tools without chemical sources, drilling mud and bits, using modeling and prediction in real time are considered as prospective conceptual ways. It can be said with confidence that fulfillment of the above mentioned measures and already implemented solutions at the Northern Caspian region will change dramatically approaches to hydrocarbon deposits development, and will help to explore hydrocarbon potential to the full extent in the Russian sector of the Caspian Sea.

To extend areal coverage for maximum reservoir contact from a single offshore platform, Korchagina oil field is developed with Extended Reach (ER) wells with MD up to 8km, TVD 1.5km. The main target of Korchagina field is Neokomian sandstone formation with large gas cap that necessitates field development with horizontal ICD sand screen completions to minimize early gas breakthrough.In 2011 a task was set to work out set of solutions that would convey ICD sand screens to TD in Korchagina ER environment, with openhole coverage up to 5000m, and to design completion elements around these solutions.At planning phase industry expertise -completion practices in projects operating in similar ER environment was reviewed, and existing to date technologies to complete ER wells were analyzed.Existing technologies and practices did not provide sufficiently robust and flexible solutions for Korchagina ER environment. Hence, innovative solution was proposed -Rotating sand screens to TD, with contingency to run in stages if rotation limit is expected to be exceeded based on drilling results.Further, design of completion equipment was reviewed to accommodate high torque and rotation capability: direct wrap sand screen media with proven sand retention performance in high torque; integral centralizers, to transfer rotational motion at contact points to reduce drag; high torque connections. Paper discusses in details the solutions proposed and design of completion equipment.In 2 years 11 ERD wells were completed with TD reaching 7996m MD at 1565m TVD and openhole coverage up to 4700m. Of these 11 wells, in 3 wells actual friction factors came low enough to allow completion run conventionally, in 8 wells rotation was required at 800m-3000m off TD. The results are presented in the paper.Based on successful results of application, rotation is set as requirement for completion design for all the wells of current Korchagina field.