ACG participating interests are: bp (30.37%), SOCAR (25.0%), MOL (9.57%), INPEX (9.31%), Equinor (7.27%), ExxonMobil (6.79%), TPAO (5.73%), ITOCHU (3.65%), ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) (2.31%).
BP Exploration (Caspian Sea) Limited is the operator on behalf of the Contractor Parties to the ACG Production Sharing Agreement.
In the first quarter of 2021, we spent more than $142 million in operating expenditure and more than $463 million in capital expenditure on ACG activities.
Despite the challenges and restrictions caused by the pandemic the Azeri Central East (ACE) project remained remarkably resilient during the first quarter of the year along with the other bp-operated activities.
The overall project detailed design engineering works were completed by the end of the quarter. The shipment of major equipment packages and bulk materials to Baku continued in support of the fabrication schedule.
Fabrication activities on the topsides and drilling facilities for the ACE platform continued at the fabrication yard in Bibi-Heybat. These included progressing the heavy lift programme with the installation of all the cellar deck panels, the lifting into position of the first weather deck sections, and several key drilling module lifts. The mechanical package installation progressed, the pipe fabrication, erection and cable pulling commenced. The mechanical equipment packages inspection and equipment deliveries continued with living quarters and major vessel delivery on plan. The living quarters modules have been shipped from Sweden and are expected to arrive in Baku in the second quarter of 2021.
At the Heydar Aliyev Baku Deepwater Jackets factory (BDJF) the jacket fabrication continued at multiple work fronts both in the workshops and on the skid-way. Fabrication activities on the subsea structures and spools also continued.
During the quarter, the project progressed the offshore installation works associated with the produced water management on the Central Azeri platform, as well as the preparation for commencing brownfield works on the East Azeri platform in the second quarter of 2021 to allow the ACE platform to draw power from the Azeri field optimising power generation across the assets. At the Sangachal terminal the design for the onshore control room was completed to allow for the planned modifications to commence in the fourth quarter.
Overall, the engineering, procurement and fabrication works remain on track to support first production from the ACE project in 2023.
Production
During the first quarter, ACG continued to safely and reliably deliver stable production. Total ACG production for the quarter was on average about 484,000 barrels per day (b/d) (about 44 million barrels or 6 million tonnes in total) from the Chirag (30,000 b/d), Central Azeri (112,000 b/d), West Azeri (130,000 b/d), East Azeri (79,000 b/d), Deepwater Gunashli (89,000 b/d) and West Chirag (44,000 b/d) platforms.
At the end of the quarter, 133 oil wells were producing, while 45 were used for water and eight for gas injection.
Drilling and completion
In the first quarter of 2021, ACG completed three oil producer and two injector wells.
Associated gas
During the first quarter, ACG delivered an average of 11.6 million cubic metres per day of ACG associated gas to SOCAR (1 billion cubic metres in total), primarily at the Sangachal terminal but also to SOCAR’s Oil Rocks facility. The remainder of the associated gas produced was re-injected for reservoir pressure maintenance.