British oil major BP has spudded the first exploration well at the Shafag-Asiman block in the Caspian Sea, offshore Azerbaijan.
The drilling operation at BP's 50% percent operated offshore block started on Monday, January 13. Azerbaijan's national oil company Socar holds the remaining 50% share.
The SAX01 well, the first to be drilled in the contract area, is planned to reach total depth of up to 7,000 meters. BP said the drilling would take nine months to complete.
The block sits around 125 kilometers to the South-East of Baku and covers an area of approximately 1,100 square kilometers. Water depths at the site are between 650 meters and 800 meters.
BP is drilling the well with the Heydar Aliyev semi-submersible rig operated by the Caspian Drilling Company (CDC).
Rovnag Abdullayev, president of SOCAR, said: “A while back, we have successfully completed seismic study in the Shafag-Asiman block with our partner BP. Now we are embarking on the next step, and starting to drill an exploration well."
A 3D seismic acquisition program was conducted on the contract area in 2012.
Abdullayev said: "The exploration drilling will allow to fully uncover the block’s potential. We are proud that today Azerbaijani companies – SOCAR’s business units provide all key services, including the construction of platforms and jackets as well as drilling, for such complex projects, as Shah Deniz, Azeri-Chirag- Gunashli and Shafag-Asiman. We consider this as one of the most important achievements of Azerbaijani oil workers during the era of national independence."
Gary Jones, BP’s Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, said: “We are excited and proud to be embarking on this first exploration well on Shafag-Asiman – a structure which has significant potential for a large-scale gas discovery. A great deal of preparation has been made to assure a safe and robust drilling program.”