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Akbar Novruz

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Azerbaijan's Chirag offshore platform has produced 107.8 million tonnes of oil and 25 billion cubic metres of natural gas since operations began in 1997, according to the Ministry of Energy.

The figures, recorded as of November 1, 2026, mark 29 years since the launch of production at Chirag, one of the landmark facilities in Azerbaijan's offshore oil industry.

The platform played a pivotal role in the development of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field, with the commencement of production in 1997 marking the beginning of Azerbaijan's so-called Early Oil programme.

Located approximately 120 kilometres east of Baku in the Caspian Sea, Chirag operates in waters around 120 metres deep.

The offshore facility is designed to support oil and gas production, drilling operations and accommodation for personnel.

Its infrastructure includes a platform with 24 well slots and water-injection facilities, alongside an extensive network of subsea pipelines connecting the field to Azerbaijan's energy infrastructure.

These include a 176-kilometre, 24-inch oil pipeline transporting crude to the Sangachal Terminal, a 48-kilometre, 16-inch gas pipeline connecting the platform to Oil Rocks (Neft Dashlari), and a 12-kilometre, 18-inch gas pipeline linking Chirag to the Central Azeri Compression and Water Injection Platform.

According to operational figures, production from the Chirag platform averaged approximately 19,300 barrels of oil per day during the first half of 2026.