Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR is trying to save the gas exploration well at the Caspian field of Bulla Daniz that has been blazing since August 17, company President Rovnaq Abdullayev said.

"It is easy to extinguish the fire," Abdullayev told reporters in the capital, Baku. "What we are trying to do is to save the well."

The Baku-based energy producer has invited Halliburton to help put out the fire and rescue the well, Abdullayev said.

The fire started at the well at a depth of 5,868. All of the 60 people working on the platform were evacuated safely.

Asked about the damage caused by the fire, Abdullayev said estimates will be completed after the clean-up ends.

The SOCAR president had earlier said 2.5 million to 3 million cubic meters of gas is burning at the well every day.

Bulla-Daniz is estimated to contain 17 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Socar has been developing the field since 1975. There are 15 operational wells at Bulla Daniz at the moment. Socar pumped about 62 million metric tons of gas and 11 million tons of condensate from the field between 1975 and 2009.