Rovnag Abdullayev: We plan to get first gas from "Absheron" in 2019

Baku. 11 July. REPORT.AZ/ "We are already preparing to develop deposits "Umid","Babek" with a high-speed. There are no obstacles for the first phase of development of the Absheron field. Rovnag Abdullayev, President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) told Report.

According to him, all arrangements have been prepared in connection with the first phase of development at the "Absheron" field: "We expect to receive first gas from Absheron in 2019. To this end, in September the floating drilling rig Heydar Aliyev will start drilling the first well at "Absheron". I think we will be able to receive 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas in the first phase of the project. At the year end, we will start thinking about the second phase, which is expected in 2022-2023. This is an even larger phase, with which we plan to receive an additional 5 bln cubic meters of gas."

SOCAR President noted that works will also begin on the oil field "Karabakh" soon: "By the year end, we plan to complete design work on Karabakh block and start exploration and operation next year .Maximum until 2021, we will get the first oil from "Karabakh". According to contract signed with BP, 3D seismic work was carried out in the shallow part of "Absheron". We have already discovered several small structures, and we will start their development”.

"Another contract with BP is related with "Shafag-Asiman". The 3D seismic works have been completed there. You know that all rigs are busy. As soon as window appears, the first exploratory drilling will be conducted on "Shafag-Asiman". Presumably, this is the largest gas field, which should be confirmed while drilling.In the future, we plan to conduct certain work on "Nakhchivan" and "Zafar Mashal" fields, R. Abdullayev added.