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Lukoil-Nizhnevolzhskneft is developing its Korchagina oil field in the Russian sector of the Caspian Sea using inflow control device (ICD) sand screen completions producing from horizontal wells. The ICD completion is used to delay gas and water breakthrough and extend the well's production life. Offshore operations, restricted wellhead access and a relatively low TVD limit conventional production logging possibilities, so Lukoil has chosen to install permanent fiber-optic distributedtemperature monitoring systems with its sand screens and to use these systems to monitor and optimize production.The optical fiber has been deployed on the outer part of the sand screen shroud in this horizontal, low-drawdown well. Installing the fiber outside the ICD sand screens gives a unique direct measurement of the inflow temperature from individual well zones (the effect of Joule-Thomson warming/cooling of the flowing fluids caused by the pressure drawdown), excluding the effects of thermal mixing of the reservoir fluid flowing inside the wire-wrapped screens. This inflow temperature responds directly to zone drawdown and fluid Joule-Thomson properties, allowing these properties to be monitored over time.Descriptions are provided of the completion technology used to install the fibers along the ICD sand screens and of the data and results obtained. Thermal models of the near-well environment are also described and are used to analyze the data for early detection of the gas breakthrough and to allow real-time production optimization. The installed optical fiber proved its value for production optimization in this ICD completion in the Korchagina oil field.

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.