Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR on Monday commissioned two vessels to be used in oil and gas development in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea.

One of the vessels has been repaired, while the other new ship purchased.

The overhauled Gurban Abbasov vessel had been built at Finland’s Turku shipyard in 1984-86. The vessel was delivered to Azerbaijan in 1988. It has loading capacity of 1,200 tons and its crane has lifting capacity of 600 tons.

After upgrade work began at the vessel in 2006, suitable conditions were provided for 150 to 200 people to live and work on board. The facilities installed at Gurban Abbasov allow to purify and utilize 60 tons of sea water, 30 cubic meters of contaminated water and 120 kg of hard waste.

SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev, who attended the opening ceremony, said there was a total of four such vessels in the world and Azerbaijan’s possessing two of them was great success for the entire Caspian region.

The Caspian Power supply vessel, constructed in China, will provide services at sea for the platforms operated at Azerbaijan’s major Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli oil block and Shahdaniz, the country’s largest gas field in the Caspian.

Caspian Power is the 12th vessel brought to the sea under an agreement signed in 2008 by the Caspian Oil Fleet – BUE Caspian Alliance and BP Azerbaijan. Over $300 million has been spent so far on building those vessels.

Another vessel is due to be delivered in the coming months. In 2012, a supply vessel of the Caspian Power type is to be brought to Baku.

The new vessels will be used in drilling operations to be carried out by Total Azerbaijan and for services to BP Azerbaijan.