ACE project progress on schedule, BP Azerbaijan says

Despite the challenges and restrictions caused by the COVID pandemic, the Azeri Central East (ACE) project remained remarkably resilient during the year along with other BP activities, Report informs, referring to a joint report of BP Azerbaijan and partners.

The detailed engineering works were substantially completed by the end of the year, and at least ten major packages were shipped to Baku in the fourth quarter, complimenting the multiple deliveries of the 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.

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.

ACG is the largest oil field block in Azerbaijan. The first production sharing agreement for developing the field block was signed on September 20, 1994, while a new deal on the joint exploitation of these fields and production sharing was reached on September 14, 2017. The agreement provides for the development of the areas by the end of 2049.

ACG participating interests are: bp (30.37%), SOCAR (25%), MOL (replaced Chevron as of 16 April 2020 (9.57%), INPEX (9.31%), Equinor (7.27%), ExxonMobil (6.79%), TPAO (5.73%), ITOCHU (3.65%), ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) (2.31%).