Ways to improve the development efficiency in the complex-structured carbonate deposits of the Tournaisian stage using hydraulic fracturing

Abstract Depletion of the main oil reserves within the Volga-Ural oil and gas province causes a constant shift in production volumes towards complex low-productive carbonate deposits. Clarification of the geological structure, which has a prevailing effect on the final result, is carried out in order to ensure an efficient process of developing reserves. The analysis of the influence of clay dam thickness between oil and water-saturated formations was done for various injection sites on the efficiency of hydraulic fracturing and treatment of the bottom-hole zone in production wells. The study showed that the critical value of the dam thickness is equal to three meters; the waterflooding efficiency is significantly reduced below this value.