Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 5
By Maksim Tsurkov- Trend:
The British company BP does not exclude the use of SOCAR's new-generation drilling rig on the Shafag-Asiman block of fields in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, Greg Riley, BP Azerbaijan vice-president for exploration and development, told reporters in Baku.
All the issues, related to the drilling on Shafag-Asiman, should be consistent with SOCAR, according to Riley.
"Negotiations on this issue continue," Riley added.
He also noted that the issue of drilling rig for shallow waters of Absheron is not on the agenda yet.
"It is early to talk about it, because we don't know yet what kind of drilling rig we need. It all depends on where the drilling will be carried out," said Riley.
"If this place is located close to the coast, it is possible to drill on land if in deep water, then the drilling rig will be needed. We are considering various options, but it is too early to talk specifically about something," he added.
The contract on Shafag-Asiman was signed by Azerbaijan's SOCAR and Britain's BP in October 2010 for a period of 30 years. The exploration period is four years with the possibility of extension for another three years.
The share distribution in the contract is 50 to 50 percent.
The Shafag-Asiman block's projected reserves stand at 500 billion cubic meters of gas and 65 million metric tons of condensate. The block is located 125 kilometers south-east of Baku, Azerbaijan's capital.
Shafag-Asiman is located at a sea depth of 650-800 meters with reservoir depth of 7,000 meters.
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