bp-Azerbaijan: Diving vessel catches fire in Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli block of fields

bp PR manager Tamam Bayatly has clarified that the vessel which burst into flames on July 31 morning was engaged in diving operations in the open sea within the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) block of fields, under the request of the bp-Azerbaijan project operator.

Bayatly emphasised that the vessel was conducting underwater work but was not servicing any platform within the block and was far from any platform during the fire,” Bayatly told the local media, Caliber.Az reports.

She confirmed that no injuries resulted from the fire, and all crew members were safely evacuated to nearby vessels and are unharmed.

“The vessel has been towed away from the contract area to a secure location,” she added.

The diving vessel is owned by Maritime Logistics Inc.

bp-Azerbaijan, a subsidiary of bp (British Petroleum), is a major player in Azerbaijan's energy sector, particularly in oil and natural gas production. bp is the operator of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) block of fields, one of the largest oil fields in the Caspian Sea. This project includes multiple platforms and has been a cornerstone of Azerbaijan’s oil production.

bp is also a key player in the Shah Deniz gas field, which is one of the largest natural gas fields in the Caspian Sea. The development of Shah Deniz has been crucial for supplying natural gas to both regional and European markets. bp is a major partner in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Pipeline, which transports crude oil from Azerbaijan through Georgia to Türkiye and then to international markets. This pipeline has been instrumental in exporting Azerbaijani oil.