bp executive shares update on project timelines for new Shah Deniz platform

British oil titan bp plans to commission the Shah Deniz Compression (SDC) platform by 2029 to be equipped with compressor installations.

This timeline was announced by Matt Kirkham, bp’s Vice President while attending the 11th Ministerial Meeting on the Southern Gas Corridor in Baku, Caliber.Az reports citing local media.

"As part of the project, we are currently reviewing the environmental and social impact assessment together with the government of Azerbaijan and the public. Our goal is to make a final investment decision by mid-year, start the construction process next year, and commission the platform by 2029," said Kirkham , who is overseeing the company's projects in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye (AGT) as well as the Middle East and North Africa.

While speaking at the event on April 4, he highlighted that the SDC project aims to access and extract low-pressure natural gas with maximum recovery, which involves the construction and commissioning of an offshore platform with electrically powered compressor installations.

"The platform is designed to operate remotely, without a permanent crew. Additionally, it could support the electrification of the Shah Deniz Bravo platform and, ultimately, pave the way for the full electrification of the entire field," VP Kirkham added.

He further emphasized that the new platform will extend plateau production at Shah Deniz well beyond this decade and provided the audience with additional information on the SDC's key features:

Electrified facility: The platform will operate mostly without personnel.

Infrastructure development: The project includes laying electric and fiber optic cables, as well as intra-field subsea gas pipelines connecting the Alpha and Bravo platforms.

Compression capacity: SDC will be equipped with four compressors, each with a capacity of 11 MW, for gas compression.

Gas capture and transport: The platform will capture and compress low-pressure gas from certain Shah Deniz reservoirs and deliver it to the Sangachal terminal.

Dedicated compression role: SDC will receive low-pressure gas from the Shah Deniz Alpha (SDA) and Shah Deniz Bravo (SDB) platforms but will not conduct drilling operations.

The SDC platform will be installed at a distance of 3 kilometres from the SDB and 10 kilometres from the SDA platforms.

VP Kirkham also informed the audience that the support block and topsides of the platform, along with subsea infrastructure components, will be built in Azerbaijan.

The majority of the onshore construction works for SDC and commissioning are scheduled to take place between 2026 and 2028.

Speaking on the other two platforms, Kirkham revealed that the first low-pressure gas production from the Alpha platform is scheduled for June–July 2029 while that for the Shah Deniz Bravo platform is expected in April–May 2030, which is in line with the project's timeline.

By Nazrin Sadigova