Review of oil and gas operations in Azerbaijan (January-November 2013)

1. FEC

а) Oil and Gas Production

Azerbaijan produced 39.5 million tons of oil and gas condensate in Jan.-Nov. 2013 compared to 39.35 million tons in the same period of 2012, the State Statistics Committee reported.

According to the State Statistics Committee, Azerbaijan produced 42.98 million tons of oil and gas condensate in 2012 or by 5.3 percent less than in 2011.

The main volume of oil production in January-June accounted for the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli block of oil and gas fields and the Shah Deniz gas condensate field, which are developed in cooperation with foreign partners.

Gas production amounted to 16.2 billion cubic meters (tank gas) in January-Novemer 2013 compared to over 15.7 billion cubic meters in January-November 2012. Gas production in 2012 totaled 17.24 billion cubic meters (excluding associated gas), which is 5.4 percent more than in 2011.

SOCAR carried out the drilling (except joint enterprises and operational companies) of 138,439 meters from January to November 2013 compared to around 129,861 meters for the same period of 2012.

Around 131,475 meters of the total volume of drilling operations fell to operation drilling and 6,964 meters to exploration drilling.

SOCAR plans to drill 20 new wells to increase production in the shallow part of Guneshli oil and gas field.

Six out of the total number of wells planned for drilling have already been commissioned and currently five are being drilled.

Work at the Guneshli field is carried out within SOCAR's plan for stabilisation and increase of production volumes in 2013-2015 at the fields being developed by the company independently.

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) has commissioned a new oil and gas well in the shallow-water part of the Guneshli field in the Caspian Sea's Azerbaijani sector.

The new well is located on the Gunashli-14 platform. The well's daily debit is 55 tons of oil and 36,000 cubic meters of gas.

b) Processing

Some 1.3 million tons of petrol were produced in Azerbaijan in January-November 2013, which is 8.9 percent more compared to the same period of 2012, the State Statistics Committee reported.

According to the State Statistics Committee, Azerbaijan produced about 1.3 million tons of petrol in 2012 or 0.1 percent more than in 2011.

Azerbaijan produced more than 4.67 million tons of the main petroleum products in January-November 2013.

Summary table of production of oil products in Azerbaijan:

SOCAR Vice-President for Refining, David Mammadov said that in 2014, SOCAR will direct all oil produced at its fields for processing. The increase in processing is explained by a significant increase in petrol consumption in the domestic market. The growth in petrol consumption constituted 10.2 percent. The increase in petrol production is possible with large oil volumes. Accordingly, in 2014, SOCAR plans to direct all of its oil for processing. Only part of the oil produced by joint ventures at onshore fields will be exported.

c) Sale

Around 4.8 million tons of oil products were delivered to the Azerbaijani domestic market in January-November 2013, or 9.3 percent more than in the same period of 2012, the State Statistics Committee said.

According to the State Statistics Committee, around 4.8 million tons of petroleum products were delivered to the Azerbaijani domestic market in 2012 or 8.8 percent more than in 2011. According to the report, in particular, supply of petrol, diesel fuel, jet fuel, oil bitumen, liquefied gas and other petroleum products to the domestic market increased in January-November.

Around 6.2 million tons of Azerbaijani oil products were delivered to consumers (including exports) in January-November or 4.5 percent more than in January-November 2012.

Around 77.5 percent of the total volume of petroleum products delivered to customers was sold on the domestic market, while the remaining 22.5 percent went to export.

2. Chemical complex

In January-November 2013, Azerbaijan produced 68,600 tons of polyethylene, which is by 15.5 percent more than in the same period in 2012, the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee said.

According to the State Statistics Committee, an increase in production was observed in most categories of main chemical products in the country in January-November.

Production of basic chemical products:

The country produced 25,380 tons of hard polyethylene pipes, tubes and hoses in January-November, which is 2.6 percent more than in the same period in 2012. The country produced 587.3 tons of porous polyurethane plates and strips, which is 7.7 percent more than in January-November 2012.

3. Electricity

Azerbaijan produced 18.5 billion kilowatt/hours of electricity in January-November 2013, which is 0.2 percent more than the same period of 2012, Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee said.

Around 17.23 billion kilowatt/hours of electricity produced in January-November accounted for the thermal power plants. This is 2.6 percent more than in the same period of 2012.

Azerbaijan's hydropower plants produced about 1.28 billion kilowatt/hours of electricity in January-November 2013, which is by 23.9 percent less than in the same period of 2012.

The planned electricity flow with Russia, Iran, Turkey and Georgia was continued in November.

Azerenergy is engaged in production and distribution of electricity in Azerbaijan.

Azerenergy has more than 200 substations with a capacity of 500, 330, 220 and 110 kilovolt amperes, as well as 9 hydropower plants and 13 thermal power plants on its balance sheet.

At present, the installed capacity of the country's energy system is about 6500 MW, of which about 5500-5600 MW is used. The country's demand for electricity is 4200-4400 MW.

"Bakielektrikshebeke" company (sale and distribution of electricity in Baku) bought about 7.75 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from "Azerenergy" company (generation and distribution of electricity in the Azerbaijani regions) in January-November 2013 compared to 7.7 billion kilowatt-hours in January-November 2012, Bakielektrikshebeke said.