BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.5
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Despite the challenges and restrictions caused by the pandemic the Azeri Central East (ACE) project remained remarkably resilient during the year along with other bp activities, Trend reports with reference to BP.
ACE is the next stage of development of giant Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field in Caspian Sea.
The detailed engineering works were substantially completed by the end of the year, and at least 10 major packages were shipped to Baku in the fourth quarter, complimenting the multiple deliveries of plate, piping and other bulk materials shipped earlier in the year.
Fabrication activities on the topsides and drilling facilities for the ACE platform continued at the fabrication yard in Bibi-Heybat. These included the lifting of the cellar deck sections on to the skid way, the placement of the first major items of equipment into position, the ramp-up of piping along with the weather deck panel fabrication, the arrival of the drilling derrick at the yard and the commencement of fabrication and assembly of the drilling modules on site.
At the Heydar Aliyev Baku Deepwater Jackets factory (BDJF) the pin piles were completed, successfully loaded out, driven into the platform location and safely installed at the seabed ready to receive the platform jacket. The jacket fabrication continued with the first sections now out on the skid way. Fabrication activities on the subsea structures also commenced in 2020.
During the year, the project progressed with the offshore installation work associated with the produced water management on the Central Azeri platform and the preparation for work on East Azeri 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 close to completion at the end of 2020 to allow for the planned installation in 2021.
Overall, the engineering and procurement works remain on track to support the first production from the ACE project in 2023, with the larger equipment now moving from the suppliers into Azerbaijan.
The $6 billion development includes a new offshore platform and facilities designed to process up to 100,000 barrels of oil per day. The project is expected to achieve first production in 2023 and produce up to 300 million barrels over its lifetime.
The sanction is the first major investment decision by the ACG partnership since the extension of the ACG production sharing agreement (PSA) to 2049 was agreed in 2017.
The Azeri Central East (ACE) project is centred on a new 48-slot production, drilling and quarters platform located mid-way between the existing Central Azeri and East Azeri platforms in a water depth of approximately 140 metres. The project will also include new infield pipelines to transfer oil and gas from the ACE platform to the existing ACG Phase 2 oil and gas export pipelines for transportation to the onshore Sangachal Terminal.
In addition, there will be a water injection pipeline installed between the East Azeri and ACE platforms to supply injection water from the Central Azeri compression and water injection platform to the ACE facilities.
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