BP to keep Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli platforms operational throughout 2025

BP Azerbaijan has announced that none of the platforms on the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) block will be shut down for maintenance in 2025, according to company spokesperson Tamam Bayatly.

"None of the platforms on ACG will be taken offline for maintenance this year," Bayatly said, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

In 2024, BP had conducted a 15-day preventative shutdown of the "Deepwater Gunashli" platform. These shutdowns are carried out as part of the scheduled maintenance programmes included in the annual work plan and budget.

"For this year, we have not planned any platform shutdowns," Bayatly added.

In 2024, the ACG block produced 16 million tonnes of oil, marking an 11.1% decrease. The average daily production stood at 342,000 barrels per day (bpd), down from 363,000 bpd in 2023. The "Chirag" platform maintained a stable output of 23,000 bpd, matching the previous year's figures.

The "Central Azeri" platform produced 97,000 bpd (compared to 96,000 bpd in 2023), while "West Azeri" saw a drop to 75,000 bpd from 86,000 bpd. "East Azeri" recorded 51,000 bpd, down from 58,000 bpd in 2023. "Deepwater Gunashli" produced 57,000 bpd, compared to 67,000 bpd in the previous year. "West Chirag" output decreased to 29,000 bpd from 33,000 bpd, and "Central East Azeri" produced 10,000 bpd.

The contract for the development of the Azeri, Chirag, and Deepwater Gunashli fields was signed in 1994 and was due to expire in 2024. However, a new agreement was signed in 2017, extending the development of the ACG block until 2050.

Under the new contract, the ownership shares in the ACG project are as follows: BP (the operator) holds 30.37%, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has 31.655%, Hungarian MOL owns 9.57%, American ExxonMobil has 6.79%, Indian ONGC Videsh holds 2.925%, Japanese Inpex Corp. controls 9.31%, Itochu Oil has 3.65%, and Turkish TPAO owns 5.73%.

By Aghakazim Guliyev