BP plans to commission new platform at Shah Deniz by 2029

BP plans to put into operation the Shah Deniz Compression (SDC) platform with compressor units by 2029, BP Vice President for Projects in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, the Middle East and North Africa, Matt Kirkham, said on April 4 in Baku at the 11th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting, Report informs.

"As part of the project, we are discussing the assessment of its environmental and social impact with the government of Azerbaijan and the public. Our goal is to make the final investment decision by the middle of this year, start construction next year, and put the platform into operation by 2029," said Kirkham.

He noted that the project aims to access and produce low-pressure gas reserves with maximum recovery. It includes the construction and commissioning of an offshore platform with electrically powered compressor units.

"The platform is designed to operate remotely, without permanent personnel presence. In addition, it can serve to electrify the Shah Deniz Bravo platform and, ultimately, pave the way for complete electrification of the entire field," said the vice president.

He emphasized that the commissioning of the new platform will extend production at the Shah Deniz plateau 'far beyond this decade.'

The project includes the construction of an electrified SDC facility operating predominantly without personnel, laying electrical and fiber optic cables, as well as infield subsea gas pipelines from the Alpha and Bravo platforms. SDC will be equipped with four compressors with a capacity of 11 MW each for gas compression.

SDC is designed to capture low-pressure gas from some reservoirs of the Shah Deniz field, compress it, and deliver it to the Sangachal terminal.

Low-pressure gas will come from the Shah Deniz Alpha (SDA) and Shah Deniz Bravo (SDB) platforms. The platform is designed exclusively for compressor equipment, without drilling operations. SDC will be installed 3 km from SDB and 10 km from SDA.

The construction of the support block and topsides of the new platform, as well as components of the subsea infrastructure, is planned to be carried out in Azerbaijan. Most of the construction of onshore facilities and their commissioning are scheduled for 2026-2028.

The production of the first low-pressure gas from the Shah Deniz Alpha platform is scheduled for June-July 2029, and from the Shah Deniz Bravo platform for April-May 2030, according to the timeline.