BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 27
By Fidan Babayeva – Trend:
Equinor, an international energy company, plans to start drilling of exploratory well in the Azerbaijan’s Aypara structure, a source in the company told Trend.
Equinor is a member of the Azeri-Chirag-Deep Water Gunashli (ACG) field development project, under which a new ACE platform is currently under construction.
"We are currently drilling an appraisal well at the Karabakh oil and gas field, which began at the end of 2019," the source noted.
Drilling is carried out by SOCAR's subsidiary, Caspian Drilling Company (CDC) Ltd, through the Dede Gorgud semi-submersible drilling rig.
"After the drilling of the appraisal well at the Karabakh field is completed, we are going to drill the exploratory well at the Aypara structure," the company said.
The company’s representative said that drilling at the Karabakh field is planned to be completed in early March 2020.
Equinor is a long-term partner of SOCAR in a consortium on the development of the largest oil fields in Azerbaijan of the ACG, the source said.
“We hope to get positive results from the appraisal well in the Karabakh field, which will allow us to make an investment decision regarding the development of this field over the next few years. Obtaining positive drilling results at the Aypara structure may entail investment,” the source in the company noted.
Recently, a floating drilling rig was delivered to the Karabakh field for appraisal drilling. The purpose of the operation is to identify the potential of the field, as well as oil and gas reserves.