SOCAR sets new drilling record at West Absheron field

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has broken its own record in drilling operations.

The Complex Drilling Works Trust (KBR) of SOCAR drilled the lateral section of Well No. 28a at the West Absheron field, achieving the company’s longest horizontal open-hole section to date, measuring 522 metres, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The operation was carried out by KBR on behalf of SOCAR’s Azneft Production Association. The previous record of 515 metres was set in late 2025 at Well No. 25a in the same field.

The West Absheron field is operated by the Absheronneft Oil and Gas Production Department under SOCAR’s Azneft unit.

The West Absheron field is an offshore oil-producing site located in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, roughly 65 kilometres north of Baku and to the north-west of the Absheron Peninsula. Discovered in 1958, the field presents challenging offshore conditions, which have required advanced drilling techniques and infrastructure.

Production from the field began in 1996, targeting reservoirs in the Kirmaky and Lower Kirmaky pay zones. Since then, SOCAR and its drilling subsidiaries, including the Complex Drilling Works Trust, have developed multiple wells from several offshore platforms, steadily increasing output and operational efficiency.

Operated by SOCAR’s Azneft unit, West Absheron remains a key part of Azerbaijan’s Caspian Sea energy portfolio, contributing to the country’s overall petroleum production and supporting ongoing technological advancements in offshore drilling.

By Aghakazim Guliyev