Review of oil and gas operations in Azerbaijan (January-November 2016)

1. FEC

а) Oil and Gas Production

Some 37.72 million tons of oil and gas condensate were produced in Azerbaijan in January-November 2016, which is 1.5 percent less than in the same period of 2015, the State Statistics Committee said in a report.

The country produced 41.69 million tons of oil and gas condensate in 2015, as compared to 41.9 million tons in 2014.

The main oil output in Azerbaijan currently comes from the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli field.

The tank gas production in Azerbaijan stood at 17.02 billion cubic meters in January-November 2016, or 4.9 percent less than in the same period of 2015.

The country produced 19.72 billion cubic meters of tank gas in 2015, as compared to 18.7 billion cubic meters in 2014.

Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR produced 6.94 million tons of oil from the country’s onshore and offshore fields in January-November 2016, as compared to 7.58 million tons in the same period of 2015.

SOCAR produced 5.73 billion cubic meters of gas using its own funds at onshore and offshore fields of the country in January-November 2016, as compared to 6.32 billion cubic meters in the same period of 2015.

In addition to its own production, SOCAR also gets gas from the Shah Deniz and Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (associated gas) fields by developing these fields in cooperation with foreign partners.

The total volume of gas produced from those fields and independently developed ones was 26.92 billion cubic meters in January-November 2016, as compared to 26.59 billion cubic meters in the same period of 2015.

SOCAR drilled 100,360 meters in January-November 2016 versus 97,730 meters drilled in the same period of 2015.

According to the message, some 97,693 meters out of the total drilling operations accounted for production drilling and 2,670 meters accounted for exploration drilling.

SOCAR commissioned 57 new wells in January-November 2016.

About 7.82 billion manat were invested in Azerbaijan’s oil and gas sector in January-November 2016.

Saipem Contracting Netherlands B.V. signed a 4-year contract with the Azerbaijani branch of the Lighthouse company in order to conduct survey work as part of the Shah Deniz Stage 2 project.

“The two companies have signed a new revision of the existing frame agreement, which concerns Survey and Positioning Support Activities, extending its term until 2022,” said the message.

In May 2016, the Shah Deniz consortium announced the award of a $1.5 billion contract for the transport and installation of the deeper water subsea production systems for Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the BOS Shelf LLC, Saipem Contracting Netherlands B.V. and Star Gulf FZCO consortium.

SOCAR will additionally produce 102.2 million cubic meters of gas and 29,200 tons of condensate per year as it has put into operation a new well at the Bulla Deniz field in the Caspian Sea.

Drilling of the well started in July 2015, said the message.

Gas and condensate are extracted from a well-bore within the range of 6,182-6,003.5 meters.

b) Processing

Azerbaijan produced 4.77 million tons of oil products in January-November 2016 compared to 5.04 million tons in the same period of 2015, said the report of the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee.

Currently, SOCAR is modernizing its processing facilities, as the fuel consumption has increased in the country.

Azerbaijan produced 1.05 million tons of gasoline in January-November 2016 or 6.8 percent less than in January-November 2015.

Below is the summary table of the output of oil products in Azerbaijan:

2. Chemical complex

Azerbaijan produced 46,700 tons of propylene in January-November 2016, which is 8.4 percent less than in the same period of 2015, the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee said in a report.

According to the report, the country produced 87,400 tons of polyethylene in January-November 2016, or 5.7 percent less than in the same period of 2015.

Some 54,800 tons of barium sulfate were produced in Azerbaijan during the period, which is 0.9 percent less than in the same period of 2015.

Azerbaijan saw a decrease in the production of major types of chemicals in January-November 2016.

Below are the figures for output of major chemicals in Azerbaijan:

3. Electricity

­Azerbaijani power plants generated 20.82 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in January-November 2016, which is by 0.1 percent less than in the same period of 2015, the country’s State Statistics Committee said in a report.

According to the report, some 19.89 billion kilowatt hours of the total electricity generated during the reporting period accounted for commercial electricity in January-November 2016, which is 0.2 percent more than in January-November 2015.

Thermal power plants generated 18.02 billion kilowatt hours of the total commercial electricity generated in January-November 2016, or 2.1 percent less than in the same period of 2015.

Azerbaijan’s hydro-power plants generated 1.8 billion kilowatt hours of commercial electricity in January-November 2016, which is 24.8 percent more than in January-November 2015.

Wind farms produced 16 million kilowatt hours of electricity, while solar power plants – 61.7 million kilowatt hours of electricity in the reporting period.

Azerenergy JSC is the main producer of electricity in Azerbaijan. It has over 200 substations with a capacity of 500, 330, 220 and 110 kilovolt amperes, as well as 10 hydro power plants and 14 thermal power plants.

At present, the generation capacity of Azerbaijan's power supply system is 8,100 megawatts.