Can become the country's largest oil and gas fields（国内最大の油田・ガス田となる可能性）

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on August 18, announced to enter the commercial development of prospecting for oil and natural gas fields off the coast of Niigata Prefecture.

Commenced drilling in April next year, to investigate the amount of reserves over three years. The results of geological survey is also potentially the country's largest oil and gas fields.

Prospecting point, the seabed of about 1000 meters water depth of about 30 km southwest from Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture. When you prospecting in the waters around the year 2003, a small amount of oil and gas production has been confirmed.

Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the results were analyzed precisely the structure layer by using the ship of Exploration Geophysicists 3-D was introduced in 2008, out of the strata below the 2700 m from the seabed, oil in the range extends to square kilometers approximately 135 data were obtained with the potential of natural gas reserves and. Area that is equivalent to about two times in the Yamanote JR, the agency is "in the area is comparable to large-scale foreign oil" and.

The government has formulated the "ocean energy and mineral resources development plan", 09 years, put serious about resource development in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Japan. Was investigating three-dimensional 11 locations in Japanese waters, off the coast of Niigata Prefecture has determined that the most promising. If the good results of the exploratory drilling, aimed at the commercialization of 17 years as the first issue of the plan.

Considering the size, you can imagine to be a considerable amount of reserves, means, I want a specific aim and commercialization of reserves at an early stage.



経済産業省は１８日、新潟県沖で油田・天然ガス田の商業開発に向けて試掘に入ると発表した。
来年４月にも掘削を開始し、埋蔵量を３年かけて調査する。地質調査の結果では国内最大の油田・ガス田となる可能性もある。
試掘地点は、新潟県の佐渡島から南西約３０キロの水深約１０００メートルの海底。２００３年に周辺海域で試掘した際、少量の石油やガスの産出が確認されていた。
経産省資源エネルギー庁は、０８年に導入した３次元物理探査船を使用して地層構造を精密に分析した結果、海底から２７００メートル下にある地層のうち、約１３５平方キロに及ぶ範囲で石油や天然ガスの埋蔵の可能性があるとのデータを得た。面積はＪＲ山手線内の約２倍に相当し、同庁は「面積では海外の大規模油田に匹敵する」としている。
政府は０９年、「海洋エネルギー・鉱物資源開発計画」を策定し、日本の排他的経済水域（ＥＥＺ）内の資源開発に本腰を入れた。日本近海の１１か所で３次元調査を進めたところ、新潟県沖が最も有望と判断した。試掘の結果が良好なら、同計画の第１号として１７年の商業化を目指す。
広さから考えると、相当な埋蔵量であることが想像できますが、ぜひ、早い段階での埋蔵量の特定と商業化を図ってほしいですね。