The Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) has launched drilling the first subsea water injection well on subsea manifold installed on Deepwater Gunashli field under Phase 3. The AIOC told Trend the drilling work is carried out with Dada Gorgud semi-submersible rig and will take 50 days to complete. The drilling will be carried out in 2km of the platform, which will directly produce Azeri Light oil.
After completion of drilling, Dada Gorgud will be replaced to the second subsea manifold to drill the second water injection well. In general some 10 subsea water injection wells will be drilled on the subsea manifolds.
Subsea template will be installed in the place of the platform for oil production in June to continue drilling a pre-drilling well with Dada Gorgud.
CDC completed drilling the first periling well with Dada Gorgud without subsea templates. Following the installation of the templates it is planned to start drilling the second pre-drilling rig with Dada Gorgud.
First oil production from Deepwater Gunashli field under Phase 3 is scheduled for 2008. Water injection into wells drilled on two subsea manifold will start simultaneously with oil production from the wells located in the platform
The recoverable reserves of Deepwater Gunashli field comprise 176 million tons or 1.25 billion barrels of oil.