2024-07-16 22:03:46
BP, as the operator of gas and condensate production from the Caspian Shah Deniz field, plans to begin implementing a project to create a dedicated compressor platform to extract additional gas from the contract area from the second quarter of 2025.
BP Vice President for Communications and External Relations in the Caspian Region Bakhtiyar Aslanbeyli exclusively told Trend about this, Day.Az reports.
“We are working to extend the period of stable production at Shah Deniz and obtain additional gas volumes to increase its sales. For this purpose, we plan to build a new compressor platform. We believe that this is a technically feasible and cost-effective solution,” Aslanbeyli noted.
He added that it would be an unmanned, remotely controlled platform powered from the Sangachal shore terminal via a high-voltage electric cable.
“The compressor platform project is in the development stage, and its implementation will start in the second quarter of 2025. This project actually means the so-called third stage of Shah Deniz development, and this field plays a significant role in the gas future of Azerbaijan,” Aslanbeyli noted.
In the first half of 2024, Shah Deniz produced 14 billion cubic meters of natural gas, operating at peak production.
Gas and condensate production from Shah Deniz has been ongoing since December 2006, and over the entire period, a total of 223 billion cubic meters of gas and 46.6 million tons of condensate have been extracted from it.
“This year is a year of important achievements for us. In February, we reached an important milestone by starting gas and condensate production from the first well on the remaining fifth wing of Shah Deniz – the northeast wing. We plan to start operating two more wells on this wing during the year, which will allow us to fulfill our obligations to supply gas from Azerbaijan to world markets,” Aslanbeyli noted.
He recalled that to date, as part of the full-scale development of Shah Deniz (the so-called phase 2), a total of 21 wells have been drilled (five wells on the northern wing, four wells on the western wing, four wells on the southeastern wing, five wells on the southwestern wing and three wells on the northeastern wing).
Touching on the implementation of other gas production projects in Azerbaijan, bp vice president for the Caspian region said: “In parallel with the project to increase production at Shah Deniz (due to the future compressor platform), we are also looking for potential new sources of gas outside this giant field. For example, we are very optimistic about the potential natural gas deposits in the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli block of fields and will start drilling the first production well there this year, with a view to obtaining first gas in 2025. We are also assessing the hydrocarbon reserves found in the SAX01 well in the Caspian Shafag-Asiman block and planning for future actions.”
Aslanbeyli recalled that drilling of the first exploration well “SAX01” was completed in March 2021.
“This well reached a depth of 7,189 meters at the base of the productive Fasilya formation. Gas condensate reserves were discovered in some of the drilled intervals. We have processed all the data obtained and interpreted the results. Planning for future actions is underway,” explained BP’s vice president for the Caspian region.
According to him, bp will continue to support Azerbaijan in implementing its plans to increase gas exports.
In the first half of the year, Azerbaijan exported a total of 12.7 billion cubic meters of gas, mainly from Shah Deniz (an increase of 0.7 billion cubic meters compared to January-June 2023).
Overall, Azerbaijani gas exports in 2024 could reach 25 billion cubic meters, up from 23.8 billion cubic meters in 2023.
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