SOCAR resumes exploration drilling in Caspian

Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan.07 / Trend , E.Ismayilov /

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) resumed drilling the first exploration well on the Umid perspective field in the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea, SOCAR said today. 

"Drilling of the well continued after completion of the expansion of well at a depth of 2,615 meters," the source said.

He said that presently a drilling depth hits 2,880 meters from designed 6,500 meters. The drilling operations are expected to be completed by the end of 2009.

This is the first exploration drilling the company has implemented independently for the past 15 years. The gas reserves expected from the Umid field are estimated at 300 billion cubic meters and the gas condensate reserves expected are estimated at 30-40 million tons.

Earlier, SOCAR completed constructing the Umid-1 platform. The Umid-1 platform was built on the base of the unfinished Chiraq-6 platform, the largest facility within the program. Its height is 72 meters. The platform was installed in the 15 kilometers of the Bulla Deniz field at a depth of 58 meters. A total of six gas wells are expected to be drilled from the platform.