Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 22 / Trend, E. Ismayilov /
Several new extraction platforms are planned to be constructed in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea in 2013 within SOCAR's plans on increasing oil production volume at the fields developed independently, a source in SOCAR told Trend on Tuesday.
A source said that in particular, several platforms are planned to be constructed in the "Oil Rocks" field and the shallow part of "Guneshli" field (deepwater part is being developed jointly with foreign companies on the block of oil and gas fields "Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli").
In total, SOCAR plans to build 5-7 new platforms in the Caspian Sea in 2013.
Regarding drilling of new wells, the source stressed that SOCAR will independently drill 80-90 various wells this year.
Around 126 various wells were drilled in Azerbaijan in 2012, 85 of which fell to SOCAR, and the rest - for the projects implemented jointly with foreign companies. In particular, SOCAR intends to increase the production volumes at its own fields by using modern technologies at the old fields, as well as by implementing special programs aimed at increasing the production, rather than stabilization.
Around 42.98 million tons of oil and gas condensate were produced in Azerbaijan in 2012, or 5.3 percent less than in 2011.
The main oil production volume last year fell to the block of oil and gas fields "Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli" and gas condensate field "Shah Deniz", which are developed in cooperation with foreign partners.