Baku, Azerbaijan, June 1
By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:

Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR is considering two options of using a large floating drilling rig of new generation which is under construction at the Caspian Shipyard in Baku, a high-ranking representative of SOCAR told Trend June 1.

"The first option is to transfer the rig to France's Total company for drilling at Azerbaijan's Absheron gas and condensate field, while the second option is to transfer it to BP for using in the third stage of development of Shah Deniz field," said the company's representative.

The decision will be made until the completion of the rig's construction, SOCAR's representative said, adding that the construction will be completed by March 2017.

The project's cost exceeds $1 billion, the company's representative added.

Total, which is the operator for developing the Absheron field, expects that the first gas from the field will be received in late 2021 and early 2022.

BP, which is the operator for developing the Shah Deniz field, has repeatedly confirmed its intention to continue working with SOCAR to implement the third phase of development of this large gas and condensate field.

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