Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug.10 /Trend E.Ismayilov/
The Heydar Aliyev drilling rig will start work for BP in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea in December, an oil and gas market source told Trend on FRiday. The Danish Maersk Maersk Drilling is the operator of the rig.
BP is the operator of Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil and gas fields block and gas-condensate field Shah Deniz in the Azerbaijani sector of Caspian Sea.
The source noted that the works for BP will be initiated after completion of drilling of the first exploratory well in Azeri gas field Absheron, the work on which is scheduled for completion in autumn this year.
"In September, drilling rig will arrive for work under a contract with BP, but it will take preventive and preparatory work a few months after that," the source said.
Earlier, BP and Danish Maersk Drilling company signed a medium-term contract that provides drilling operations in the framework of contracts implemented by BP in Azerbaijan. Most of the work will be on pre-drilling under the second stage of Shah Deniz field development.
Insufficient number of drilling rig impedes drilling a large number of wells that are provided within the Shah Deniz full field development.
So, BP is keen to engage the Heydar Aliyev drilling rig. Under the Shah Deniz full field development two offshore platforms will be installed and over 26 underwater wells will be drilled.
Peak production is forecasted at 9 billion cubic meters and 50,000 barrels of condensate. It is planned that in the second stage of field development, gas production can be brought up to 24 billion cubic meters a year.
It is planned to produce additional 16 billion cubic meters of gas within the second stage of production.
The contract to develop the offshore Shah Deniz field was signed June 4, 1996. Participants to the agreement are: BP (operator) - 25.5 percent, Statoil - 25.5 percent, NICO - 10 percent, Total - 10 percent, LukAgip - 10 percent, TPAO - 9 percent, SOCAR-10 percent.