BP project that's playing a major role in Europe's move to a lower carbon economy has scooped top engineering award
Release date:
11
July
2019
The team behind the Shah Deniz 2 project praised for overcoming huge technical challenges to mastermind the delivery of cleaner energy to millions.
The huge benefits brought to society by BP's $28 billion Shah Deniz 2 development has been recognized by the Royal Academy of Engineering with its Major Project Award for 2019.
The Academy said the project will help 'Europe satisfy its future energy demand and play a major role in the continent's transition to a lower carbon economy.'
The big picture:
- SD2 is the cornerstone of the vast Southern Gas Corridor, which delivers natural gas over a 3,500-kilometre series of pipelines crossing six countries and extreme terrain from Azerbaijan to Europe.
- The complex engineering challenge required major offshore and onshore pipeline gas development and involved seven governments and 11 companies.
- The project has served as a catalyst to building skills and development in the region, supporting 30,000 jobs at peak.
- The Royal Academy award is given to a project that’s had a substantial impact on society.
“It has been a great joy for me to witness some of the extraordinary engineering BP continuously achieves to the highest standard through Shah Deniz. I congratulate all of the company’s past and present engineers whose work creates such outcomes.”
Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan
“The Award committee was very proud to reward a project posessing both outstanding engineering excellence and substantial societal impact. The Shah Deniz 2 project is tangible proof of how outstanding engineering can overcome huge technical challenges and provide solutions that can impact positively on our life standards.”
Professor Raffaella Ocone, chair of the Royal Academy of Engineering Award Committee
Mega engineering:
- The offshore component of the project consists of 26 subsea wells in the Caspian Sea with 110 kilometres of flowlines and two bridge-linked platforms.
- A total of 270 kilometres of gas and condensate pipelines bring the gas to shore.
- The engineering team had to overcome extremes of terrain and environment. The facilities and pipeline are in a seismically active area and the subsea flowlines were carefully routed to avoid geohazards, such as mud volcanoes.
- More than 10 million work hours went into design, construction and start-up.
“Given the scale and complexity of the endeavour, everyone involved should be justifiably proud of what we have achieved.”
Mark Tatum, BP engineering manager
Watch this video for more on the route to first gas
