Azeri gas output set to surge
5.9 billion cubic meters of gas and 1.6 million tons of condensate
have been produced from Azerbaijan's biggest field Shahdaniz so
far, an executive of the state oil company SOCAR has said.
The company's first vice-president Khoshbakht Yusifzada said four production wells are currently operated at the field, and drilling of another one is under way. Average daily output from Shahdaniz is currently 19m cubic meters of gas and 4,500 tons of condensate.
Yusifzada said production is estimated at 8bn cubic meters in 2008 and as much as 22bn cubic meters in 2015. The field's full-field development will allow to further boost the volume to 35bn cubic meters, according to projections.
The Shahdaniz field, discovered in June 1999, launched production in 2006. The field is operated by an international consortium, with oil giant BP being the project operator.
The SOCAR vice-president said his company brought domestic gas production to 6bn cubic meters in 2007. He said a program developed by SOCAR in 2006 to ramp up output envisions bringing production to 8bn cubic meters in 2008. "In other words, domestic gas output is predicted to double this year compared to 2004."
Yusifzada said implementation of the program allowed Azerbaijan to turn down 4.5bn cubic meters of gas imported from Russia.
He continued that gas production is expected to reach 48bn cubic meters in 2015.
"To attain this volume, production will continue in three directions. First, gas will be produced from the ACG field. Second, an increase in production at Shahdaniz is in store. Thirdly, efforts will be made to speed up operation of SOCAR's fields."
The energy executive added that new gas-condensate deposits may be discovered in the Azeri sector of the Caspian in the coming years.
The company's first vice-president Khoshbakht Yusifzada said four production wells are currently operated at the field, and drilling of another one is under way. Average daily output from Shahdaniz is currently 19m cubic meters of gas and 4,500 tons of condensate.
Yusifzada said production is estimated at 8bn cubic meters in 2008 and as much as 22bn cubic meters in 2015. The field's full-field development will allow to further boost the volume to 35bn cubic meters, according to projections.
The Shahdaniz field, discovered in June 1999, launched production in 2006. The field is operated by an international consortium, with oil giant BP being the project operator.
The SOCAR vice-president said his company brought domestic gas production to 6bn cubic meters in 2007. He said a program developed by SOCAR in 2006 to ramp up output envisions bringing production to 8bn cubic meters in 2008. "In other words, domestic gas output is predicted to double this year compared to 2004."
Yusifzada said implementation of the program allowed Azerbaijan to turn down 4.5bn cubic meters of gas imported from Russia.
He continued that gas production is expected to reach 48bn cubic meters in 2015.
"To attain this volume, production will continue in three directions. First, gas will be produced from the ACG field. Second, an increase in production at Shahdaniz is in store. Thirdly, efforts will be made to speed up operation of SOCAR's fields."
The energy executive added that new gas-condensate deposits may be discovered in the Azeri sector of the Caspian in the coming years.