BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 3. The Shah Deniz consortium today announced it has taken the final investment decision (FID) for the new Shah Deniz Compression (SDC) project, the next stage of development of the giant Shah Deniz gas field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea, Trend reports via bp.
The $2.9 billion SDC project, which follows the previous two stages of the field’s development, is designed to access and produce low pressure gas reserves in the field and maximize resources recovery. The project is expected to enable around 50 billion cubic metres of additional gas and approximately 25 million barrels of additional condensate production and export from the field.
The official signing of the SDC FID took place today on the sidelines of Baku Energy Week.
The project involves installation of a new compression facility – an electrically-powered unmanned compression platform, or Normally Unattended Installation (eNUI). It will be installed in 85 metres water depth, approximately 3 kilometres from the existing Shah Deniz Bravo (SDB) platform.
With four 11-MW compressors onboard, the SDC platform is designed to serve as a host facility for gas compression from both the Shah Deniz Alpha (SDA) and SDB platforms, meaning that before flowing to the Sangachal terminal onshore, export gas from the platforms will be compressed at SDC.
The project also includes several associated facilities to be installed offshore in the Shah Deniz contract area, including:
Infield subsea gas pipelines to and from the existing SDA and
SDB platforms' gas export lines.
A combined power and fiber optic cable from the Sangachal terminal
to the SDC platform to power the facility.
A backup interconnector power and fiber optic cable from SDB to the
SDC platform.
Additionally, the project encompasses brownfield works to be undertaken at SDA, SDB, and the Sangachal terminal.
Construction activities are planned to commence in late 2025, with completion expected in 2029 to be ready to receive first gas for compression from the SDA platform in 2029 and from the SDB platform in 2030. These activities will take place in-country utilizing local resources and creating up to 4,000 jobs.