Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec.11 / Trend, H.Valiyev /
Company BP - operator of the "Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli" offshore fields' block has completed the construction of the jacket of the platform within the Chirag oil project (increase in oil production on the "Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli" offshore fields' block), the company said on Tuesday.
This is the heaviest block in the Caspian Sea, which was loaded onto a barge STB-1 at the Baku Deep Water Jacket Plant named after Heydar Aliyev on Oct.20.
The jacket will remain on the barge till the end of the year, which will allow to complete work on construction of underwater pipelines that are currently at the stage of mounting.
It is planned to start work on installation of the jacket in early 2013.
Also 90 percent of work on construction and installation of superstructures of the platform conducted by ATA (AMEC-Tekfen-Azfen) Consortium has been completed. They are planned to be sent to the sea in the second quarter of 2013.
The Chirag Oil Project envisages the construction of the new West Chirag platform which will be installed at a depth of 170 metres between the Chirag and Gunashli production platforms.
The investments made in the project implementation will hit $6 billion.
Advance drilling within the project should start in the first half of next year. Drilling will be carried out from the Dada Gorgud installation. First production from the platform is scheduled for late 2013.
It is planned to produce 300 million barrels of oil until the end of the contract by ACG in 2024.
The contract on the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli full field development was signed in 1994.
Participants of the project to develop Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli are: BP (operator - 35.83 percent), Chevron (11.27 percent), Inpex (10.96 percent), AzACG (11.6 percent), Statoil (8.56 percent), Exxon (8 percent), TPAO (6.75 percent), Itocu (4.3 percent) and Hess (2.72 percent). Hess has sold its share to Indian ONGC, the transaction will be completed in the first quarter of 2013.