SOCAR starts drilling new well at Gunashli field
By Aynur Jafarova
Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR has started drilling a new well in the shallow part of the Gunashli field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea.
The news was announced by SOCAR on April 30.
The new well, with the projected depth of 3,650 meters, is being drilled from the Gunashli-19 platform.
The daily flow rate of the well will amount to around 150,000 cubic meters of gas and 15 tons of condensate.
SOCAR plans to drill 20 new wells for increasing oil and gas production in Gunashli field's shallow part.
SOCAR produced over 8.31 million tons of oil from Azerbaijan's onshore and offshore fields in 2013, which was equal to 8.24 million tons in 2012. In total, some 43.48 million tons of oil was produced in Azerbaijan in 2013, versus 43 million tons in 2012, SOCAR said.
The main volume of oil production fell to the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) block of oil and gas fields and Shah Deniz gas condensate field in 2013, which are being developed jointly with foreign partners.
The ACG block of fields produces Azeri Light oil with a sulfur content of 0.15 percent (35 degrees API).
The ACG block of fields has been producing since 1997. Production started from the Chirag part of the field and continues successfully, followed by the Azeri Project; Central Azeri production started in February 2005, West Azeri began producing in December 2005, and East Azeri came on stream in October 2006.
The Deepwater Gunashli section launched production in April 2008.
Azerbaijan's energy giant SOCAR, which is keen on expanding operations in the retail oil products market abroad, is involved in exploring oil and gas fields, producing, processing, and transporting oil, gas, and gas condensate, marketing petroleum and petrochemical products in the domestic and international markets, and supplying natural gas to industry and the public in Azerbaijan.