TotalEnergies to begin Absheron field development with innovative subsea concept

French oil and gas company TotalEnergies is starting the second phase of development of the Absheron gas field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea with an innovative underwater concept, Chairman of TotalEnergies Azerbaijan Emmanuel de Guillebon said during the 30th anniversary Baku Energy Forum, Report informs.

He noted that the company is moving to the second phase of development of the Absheron field with a new technological concept that requires non-standard engineering solutions.

"We are implementing underwater development with the drilling of three to four more wells and the construction of a 140-kilometer pipeline to Sangachal. A new plant will be built there, next to the terminal. The project will be based on a multiphase pipeline in which gas and condensate are transported together. This allows us to use a pipe with reduced thermal insulation, which allowed us to almost halve the cost of pipeline construction," he noted.

At the same time, according to Guillebon, the chosen technical solution is associated with a number of technological risks: "The use of a pipe with low thermal insulation increases the likelihood of wax deposits and hydrates, especially with such a long return line. To cope with these risks, we have developed innovative technological solutions and sophisticated models to predict and prevent such phenomena. This has become a key element of the economic and technical feasibility of the project," the TotalEnergies representative emphasized.

The Absheron field, located approximately 100 km southeast of Baku in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, is operated by JOCAP, the joint operating company Absheron Petroleum. The first gas from Absheron was received in early July 2023. In August 2023, ADN OC signed an agreement with SOCAR and TotalEnergies to acquire a total of 30% of the shares in the Absheron field. The share of the French company and SOCAR in the project is 35% each.