Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 25 / Trend E. Ismayiov /
Amec-Tekfen-Azfen (ATA) will complete more than 95 percent of the operations to construct the topsides and drilling equipment for the new platform within the Chirag oil project till late 2012 (an increase in oil production in the block of fields "Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli"), the source on the oil and gas market told Trend on Wednesday.
The source said that most operations of the topsides construction have been already completed. At present, the operations are underway to assemble an oil derrick. The derrick on the topsides will be installed in May 2012.
"All construction operations except for small ones will be completed by late 2012," the source said.
The source said that the testing of all equipment and structures will be launched in 2013.
"It will be possible to send the whole structure to the sea, but the terms of shipping will depend primarily on weather conditions," the source said.
ATA has dealt with the construction of the topsides of one of technological platforms within a project of developing the "Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli" fields.
The Chirag Oil Project assumes construction of new oilfield platform Western Chirag to be installed at sea depth of 170 meters between production wells Chirag and Gunashli, which have already been in operation.
The Chirag Oil Project requires $6 billion in investments.
Advance drilling under the project is scheduled to cover a period before the end of the 2012 first half. The drilling works will be carried out using drilling rig Dada Gorgud. The platform is expected to start producing oil at the end of 2013.
It is planned to produce 300 million barrels of oil within the implementation of the project (till the validity period of the ACG expires in 2024).
The contract was signed in 1994 to develop the large offshore field "Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli".
ACG participating interests are: BP (operator - 35.78 percent), Chevron (11.27 percent), INPEX (10.96 percent), Statoil (8.56 percent), Exxon (8 percent), TPAO (6.75 percent), ITOCHU (4.3 percent), Hess (2.72 percent).