BP ramping up production at ACG, completes maintenance at Central Azeri platform ahead of schedule
BAKU. Aug 26 (Interfax) - BP Plc , operator of the Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater Gunashli (ACG) field development project offshore Azerbaijan, has completed ahead of schedule the 11-day maintenance program at the Central Azeri platform, which began on August 19, BP in Azerbaijan said in a press release.
"The planned maintenance program on the Central Azeri platform, which started on August 19 and was planned for 11 days, has now been fully completed ahead of schedule. All of the program scope has been delivered safely. Production is currently being ramped up to its pre-program level," the company said.
BP said earlier that while production from that platform was expected to be reduced during the maintenance period, it would not be fully suspended. The advanced technologies deployed on its platforms would enable the company to continue producing safely while maintenance activities are being carried out. Production from the other ACG platforms, as well as the platforms on the Shah Deniz field and Sangachal terminal operations would continue as normal.
The program scope included various projects including critical integrity and maintenance works, flare system upgrades, reliability improvement initiatives, and anomaly elimination activities.
The maintenance program also involved activities supporting the delivery of the Central Azeri Gas Expansion (CAGE) project, designed to increase gas reinjection capacity on the platform to help maximize recovery from the existing wells.
"These planned events are a necessary part of the long-term reliability, integrity and production performance and are regularly performed in all BP-operated facilities in the region," the company said.
The contract for the development of the Azeri, Chirag and Deepwater Gunashli fields was signed on September 20, 1994 and expired in 2024. However, in September 2017, a new contract for the development of the ACG block to 2050 was signed.
BP has a 30.37% stake in the project and State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR) holds 35.3%. The other parties are Hungary's MOL with 9.57%, ExxonMobil with 6.79%, ONGC Videsh with 2.925%, Japan's Inpex with 9.31% and Turkey's TPAO with 5.73%. SOCAR acquired Itochu's stake in the project on August 3, increasing its stake to 35.3% from 31.65%.
