BP resumes output at West Azeri
BP Azerbaijan, the operator of the country`s major
Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) oil fields in the Caspian Sea, has
resumed production in the western part of the Azeri field after
being suspended in mid-September, the company said Friday.
Production at West Azeri had ceased following a halt of output at another offshore platform, Central Azeri, caused by a gas leak. The halt reduced production at ACG from the previous 900,000 barrels to 580,000 barrels per day.
An investigation continues to determine the cause of the accident that shut down Central Azeri. Evidence from the investigation is being analyzed in London.
Following the September 17 accident on the Central Azeri platform, BP Azerbaijan suspended output and evacuated over 200 oil workers at that site. West Azeri production was subsequently suspended as a precautionary measure.
Production, however, continues at the East Azeri platform.
Central Azeri is the main platform used in the chain that transports Azeri light oil and gas extracted at ACG. Oil produced at other platforms, based upon West Azeri and East Azeri, is delivered to Central Azeri. Crude is then taken to the Sangachal terminal, where it is pumped into the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export pipeline, which travels to Turkey through Georgia.
ACG participating interests include: BP (34.1%), Chevron (10.2%), Azerbaijan`s state oil company, SOCAR (10%), INPEX (10%), Statoil (8.6%), ExxonMobil (8%), TPAO (6.8%), Devon (5.6%), ITOCHU (3.9%), and Hess (2.7%).
US Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts that exports of Azeri oil to world markets will grow 32.6% to reach 1.22 million barrels per day in 2009, mainly due to the rising production at ACG.
The share of Azeri oil exports in global supplies of energy will be 1.4% next year, according to the EIA. The figure will reach 0.92m bpd in 2008, compared to the average 0.85m bpd in 2007.
Production at West Azeri had ceased following a halt of output at another offshore platform, Central Azeri, caused by a gas leak. The halt reduced production at ACG from the previous 900,000 barrels to 580,000 barrels per day.
An investigation continues to determine the cause of the accident that shut down Central Azeri. Evidence from the investigation is being analyzed in London.
Following the September 17 accident on the Central Azeri platform, BP Azerbaijan suspended output and evacuated over 200 oil workers at that site. West Azeri production was subsequently suspended as a precautionary measure.
Production, however, continues at the East Azeri platform.
Central Azeri is the main platform used in the chain that transports Azeri light oil and gas extracted at ACG. Oil produced at other platforms, based upon West Azeri and East Azeri, is delivered to Central Azeri. Crude is then taken to the Sangachal terminal, where it is pumped into the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export pipeline, which travels to Turkey through Georgia.
ACG participating interests include: BP (34.1%), Chevron (10.2%), Azerbaijan`s state oil company, SOCAR (10%), INPEX (10%), Statoil (8.6%), ExxonMobil (8%), TPAO (6.8%), Devon (5.6%), ITOCHU (3.9%), and Hess (2.7%).
US Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts that exports of Azeri oil to world markets will grow 32.6% to reach 1.22 million barrels per day in 2009, mainly due to the rising production at ACG.
The share of Azeri oil exports in global supplies of energy will be 1.4% next year, according to the EIA. The figure will reach 0.92m bpd in 2008, compared to the average 0.85m bpd in 2007.