In summer BP-Azerbaijan to suspend extraction on oldest platform in Caspian Sea

Till the end of summer BP-Azerbaijan company, operator of development of the bloc of offshore fields Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG),  plans to perform preventive works on the Chirag field, Gordon Birrell, BP President for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, told journalists.

“The prevention works are already in progress on the Western Azeri platform. The works are close to completion and the platform will be launched in the near future. In 1-2 months we plan to conduct preventive works on the Chirag platform,” he said.

Birrell said that suspension of the Western Azeri platform affects daily oil production rate on the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli bloc.

“However, this will not affect the annual forecast, because suspension of the platform and preventive works have been planned in advance,” Birrell said.

On May 21, 2015 BP suspended operation of the platform on the western part of Azeri fields for the preventive, inspection and project works. The repair works could be done only if the platform’s operation is suspended.

The repair works is part of the earlier approved plan and part of the annual program of works on ACG.

In quarter 1, 2015 on average 54,000 barrels of oil a day was extracted on Chirag platform and 129,000 barrels a day on Western Azeri platform.

In 2014 31.5 million tons of oil was extracted from the ACG bloc and the forecast for this year is 30.3 million tons (according to SOCAR).—0—