BP Plc plans to commission compressor platform at Shah Deniz by 2029
BAKU. April 4 (Interfax) - BP Plc plans to put the Shah Deniz Compression (SDC) platform with compressor units into operation by 2029, Matt Kirkham, BP vice president for projects in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa said at the 11th ministerial meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council in Baku on Friday.
"Currently, as part of the project, we are discussing its environmental and social impact assessment with the government and the public. Our goal is to make a final investment decision by mid-year, start construction next year, and commission the platform by 2029," Kirkham said.
The project aims to access low-pressure gas reserves and extract them with maximum recovery, he said. It includes the construction and commissioning of an offshore platform with electrically powered compressor units.
"The platform is designed to operate remotely, without the permanent presence of personnel. It can also contribute to the electrification of the Shah Deniz Bravo platform and ultimately pave the way for the full electrification of the entire field," he said.
The commissioning of the new platform will allow production at the Shah Deniz plateau to continue well beyond the current decade, he said.
As reported, the project includes the construction of the electrified SDC facility, which will operate mostly without personnel, as well as the laying of electrical and fiber-optic cables and intra-field subsea gas pipelines connecting the Alpha and Bravo platforms. SDC will be equipped with four compressors, each with a capacity of 11 MW, to compress gas.
SDC is designed to capture low-pressure gas from certain Shah Deniz reservoirs, compress it, and transport it to the Sangachal terminal. The low-pressure gas will come from the Shah Deniz Alpha (SDA) and Shah Deniz Bravo (SDB) platforms. The platform is intended exclusively for compressor equipment and will not be used for drilling operations.
SDC will be installed 3 km from SDB and 10 km from SDA. The construction of the support block, topside structures of the new platform, and subsea infrastructure components will take place in Azerbaijan. Most of the onshore construction and commissioning activities are scheduled for 2026-2028.
The first low-pressure gas production from the Shah Deniz Alpha platform is scheduled for June-July 2029, while production from Shah Deniz Bravo is expected in April-May 2030.
The contract to develop the Shah Deniz field was signed in 1996. BP, the operator, holds a 29.99% stake, Russia's Lukoil holds 19.99%, Turkey's TPAO owns 19%, Azerbaijan's Cenub Qaz Dehlizi owns 16.02%, Iran's NICO holds 10% and Hungary's MVM holds 5%.
Gas and condensate production at the field is currently carried out from the Alpha platform as part of Stage 1 and the Bravo platform as part of Stage 2.
