Azerbaijan , Baku / corr . Trend S. Aliyev/ ВР Azerbaijan may launch the first pre-drilling well on Azerbaijan offshore gas condensate field, "Shah-Daniz" prior to the schedule - as soon as all troubles and irregularities occurred in it are solved, a source in the Azerbaijan Government said.
"The well may be put into operation without any additional work with using a drilling rig," the source said.
BP has intensions to put into operation the third and fourth pre-drilling well on the field, and then return to the first one - preliminarily in summer, 2007.
According to the source in the Government, if the troubles are not settled with using a special grout, its launch will take place earlier than it is expected.
The first pre-drilling well was interrupted by a gas escape. Even after a grout was poured, gas kept on it activity. The Company intends to repeat poring a grout. The terms on the elimination of the problems will depend on the volume of the work and alternatives of their implementation.
Gas production on the first well was launched on December 15. Yesterday Bp launched another (the second well) on the deposit. According to some sources, the daily production rate of the well reaches 5,4 mln. cubic meters.
8,6 bln. cubic meters of gas is expected to be produced on the stage of plateau within Stage 1 of the development of "Shahdaniz" field. 5,4-5,6 bln. cubic meters are expected to be produced from the field in 2007.