Azerbaijan, Baku/ Trend corr. С / The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) is engaged in overhauling its drilling rigs "Khazar" and "Absheron", which are currently involved in drilling appraisal and pre-drilling wells on the south section of the structure " Western Absheron", a source in SOCAR has informed Trend today.
Preventive overhaul activities are being carried out at both rigs. As soon as this is complete, the drilling rigs will be involved in further drilling works. Two appraisal wells are expected to be drilled by the "Absheron" Rig. The drilling point for one of the appraisal wells to be drilled has already been selected. The future appraisal well will be located 1.5 km apart. SOCAR previously completed drilling an appraisal well by the same drilling rig. The projected depth of the well exceeded 800 meters.
The drilling of operational wells by "Khazar-4" will begin after the rig is completely overhauled. These are expected to be pre-drilling wells. Once they are drilled, they will be suspended for further production from the rig.
SOCAR has intentions to implement the programme on the development of this section of the field. The first platform will be installed to turn intothree drilled gas holes. The approximate daily gas production of these wells will reach 250,000 cu. m. which will enable new means and methods of production, gas-lift production, as well as delivering it to the gas distributing networks.
A platform considered for operating wells drilled from semi-submersible drilling rig "Khazar-4" is expected to be built and then installed. The decision that this platform is to drill 12 wells on this new drilling point has already been made. Previously, it was planned to drill six. All these are explained by the fact that the exploratory drilling has showed high oil saturation and seams thickness. The average daily production rate is about 10 tons of oil.
Six wells on one of the points on the field have already drilled from "Khazar-4". A platform is expected to be installed there as well. According to SOCAR, once the programme is adopted, a decision on the order of installing the platforms will be made. However, even today it is evident that the first platform will be considered for gas holes. The construction of this platform has already been launched. It is expected to be installed in the first quarter of 2008. The platform will be installed at a depth of 12-15 m. The same is planned for 2009.
The appraisal of the field's reserves has showed that it may have over 10 mln tons. This re-appraisal was conducted after carrying out exploratory drilling which was previously considered at 5 mln tons.