bp PLC plans to start a Shah Deniz Compression (SDC) platform by 2029, said Interfax in an Apr. 4 report.
SDC is designed to capture low-pressure gas from certain Shah Deniz reservoirs, and to compress and transport it to the Sangachal terminal. The low-pressure gas will come from the Shah Deniz Alpha (SDA) and Shah Deniz Bravo (SDB) platforms. The compression platform is intended exclusively for compressor equipment and will not be used for drilling operations.
Interfax cited Matt Kirkham, a BP vice-president for projects in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa, following a ministerial meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council in Baku on Friday.
The project includes construction and commissioning of the electrified SDC platform with four 11-Mw electrically-powered compressor units, laying of electrical and fiber-optic cables, and laying of intra-field subsea gas pipelines connecting Alpha and Bravo platforms.
SDC will be installed 3 km from SDB and 10 km from SDA. Construction of the support block, new platform topside structures, and subsea infrastructure components will take place in Azerbaijan. Most of the onshore construction and commissioning activities are scheduled for 2026-2028. The first low-pressure gas production from the Shah Deniz Alpha platform is scheduled for June-July 2029, while production from Shah Deniz Bravo is expected April-May 2030.
The platform is designed to operate remotely, without the permanent presence of personnel. It can also contribute to the electrification of the Shah Deniz Bravo platform.
As part of the project, bp is discussing its environmental and social impact assessment with the government and the public with the goal to make a final investment decision by mid-year, start construction next year, and commissioning of the platform by 2029.
Gas and condensate production at the field is currently carried out from the Alpha platform as part of Stage 1 and the Bravo platform as part of Stage 2.
bp is operator at Shah Deniz (29.99%) with partners Lukoil (19.99%), TPAO (19%), Cenub Qaz Dehlizi (16.02%), NICO (10%), and MVM (5%).
Alex Procyk | Upstream Editor
Alex Procyk is Upstream Editor at Oil & Gas Journal. He has also served as a principal technical professional at Halliburton and as a completion engineer at ConocoPhillips. He holds a BS in chemistry (1987) from Kent State University and a PhD in chemistry (1992) from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).
