BP completes drilling of first deep-gas production well at ACG First Gas Expected by Late 2025

The well has been drilled from the existing West Chirag platform, with first gas production expected in late 2025, following the finalisation of all completion and subsea tie-in activities.

This development marks a significant step in advancing the exploration and production of the non-associated gas (NAG) reservoirs within the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field, Caliber.Az reports, citing the bp-Azerbaijan.

In the first quarter of 2025, bp and its co-venturers dedicated substantial investments to ACG activities, with approximately $115 million spent on operating expenditure and $251 million on capital expenditure. The company's commitment to maintaining safe and reliable production has continued to yield impressive results, with the total ACG production for the quarter averaging about 331,000 barrels per day (b/d), or approximately 30 million barrels (4 million tonnes) in total.

The ACG platforms, which include Chirag, Central Azeri, West Azeri, East Azeri, Deepwater Gunashli, West Chirag, and ACE, have been crucial in maintaining stable output. "Total ACG production for the quarter was on average about 331,000 barrels per day," the company confirmed, noting that individual platforms contributed as follows: Chirag (21,000 b/d), Central Azeri (87,000 b/d), West Azeri (76,000 b/d), East Azeri (43,000 b/d), Deepwater Gunashli (54,000 b/d), West Chirag (25,000 b/d), and ACE (25,000 b/d).

A major milestone was celebrated during the quarter, as ACG marked the 20th anniversary of the first oil production from the Central Azeri platform. This achievement brought the total oil production from Central Azeri to 1.1 billion barrels (152 million tonnes). "ACG celebrated the 20th anniversary of the first oil production from the Central Azeri platform, achieving a total production of 1.1 billion barrels of oil from this platform," bp noted.

Regarding drilling activities, ACG drilled two oil producer wells in the first quarter, with one already completed. Furthermore, one gas injector well was drilled as part of the ongoing development.

In terms of associated gas, ACG delivered an average of around 11 million cubic metres per day (0.9 billion cubic metres in total) to the state of Azerbaijan, primarily at the Sangachal terminal and also to SOCAR’s Oil Rocks facility. The remainder of the associated gas produced was re-injected for reservoir pressure maintenance.

Moreover, on September 20, 2024, SOCAR, along with bp and other ACG co-venturers, announced the signing of an addendum to the existing ACG production sharing agreement (PSA) to explore and develop the NAG reservoirs within the ACG field. "The NAG resources of ACG are believed to be significant, with up to 4 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of recoverable volumes," the companies said.

The next steps for NAG development include the drilling of an initial well from the West Chirag platform, which is expected to deliver both appraisal and production. This well is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping future development plans for the ACG field's NAG reservoirs. With gas production expected to commence in late 2025, the development of NAG resources stands to enhance the field’s long-term potential significantly.

By Aghakazim Guliyev