Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct.5 / Trend, S.Suleymanov, E.Ismayilov /
In 2010 Azerbaijan will produce 53 million tons of oil compared to 50.4 million tons in 2009, SOCAR head Rovnag Abdullayev said at the 5th Eurasian Energy Forum KAZENERGY 2010 in Astana.
According to him, also in 2010 an increase is forecasted in gas production to 28.5 billion cubic meters.
Major part of oil and gas will be produced in offshore fields' block Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli and Shah Deniz offshore gas condensate field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea.
Also, according to SOCAR president, in 2015 a significant increase is forecasted in production of both oil and gas. Accordingly, oil production for 2015 is forecasted at 60 million tons, and gas - 35-40 billion cubic meters. Increase in oil production will be possible not only due to offshore fields' block Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli, but due to the new Chiraq oil project.
Abdullayev said in 2009 oil production level in the ACG hit one million barrel per day and "we intend to keep this level in 2010 too".
He said gas production increase will be possible by developing promising structures "Nakhchivan" and "Absheron", located in the Caspian Sea.
According to Abdullayev, at present 61 fields are successfully developed in Azerbaijan.
The Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli project participants are: BP (operator - 37.43 percent of share holding), Chevron (11.27 percent), SOCAR (10 percent), INPEX (10.96 percent), Statoil (8.5633 percent), ExxonMobil (8.006 percent), TPAO (6.75 percent), Devon Energy (5.6262 percent), Itochu (3.9205 percent), Delta Hess (2.7213 percent).
The contract to develop Shah Deniz was signed in June 1996. Participants are: BP (operator) - 25.5 percent; Statoil - 25.5 percent; NICO - 10 percent; Total - 10 percent; LukAgip - 10 percent; TPAO - 9 percent; and, SOCAR - 10 percent.
Gas produced from Shah Deniz is transported to Georgia and Turkey.