Field development techniques are the total of geo-technologies for natural gas and associated hydrocarbons extraction. These techniques determine the nature and efficiency of geo-technological impacts on the extraction process. The impact may be passive, when natural gas is extracted owing to endogenous (intra-formation) energy sources only, and the impact is limited to managing rational consumption of this energy and technogenic effects. This technique of natural gas fields development is usually referred to as the ‘depletion drive’. The impact may also be active, when a set of techniques is applied that use not only endogenous formation energy sources, but also exogenous (external) ones.

They include:

• formation pressure maintenance techniques;
• agents injection for physical and chemical effects on formation fluids;
• controlled extraction of formation waters;
• vibrowave techniques, etc.

Owing to the introduction of new facilities (horizontal wells, massive hydraulic fracturing, acoustic and thermal techniques, etc.), an opportunity emerges for a more active impact both on intra-formation processes of natural gas production and on the natural (geological) environment or for setting up production zones with desired parameters.