bp outlines drilling goals for ACG gas, Shah Deniz 2 offshore Azerbaijan

bp and its partners in the Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater Gunashli (ACG) Field in the Caspian Sea have drilled a first well on the gas NAG reservoirs.

These are thought to contain up to 4 Tcf recoverable. The well, drilled from the West Chirag platform, should enter production later this year following subsea tie-in activities, with the performance data used to support larger-scale development planning for the reservoirs.

In an operations update, bp added that acquisition of a second program of 4D high-definition ocean-bottom node seismic should begin shortly over the field. Last year’s initially acquired data has been processed.

During first-quarter 2025, the company also drilled two new oil producer wells (one already completed) and a gas injector.

A fifth well has gone online this year on the West South flank of the offshore Shah Deniz 2 gas-condensate development. bp’s contractors are progressing the subsea execution scope on the project’s remaining wells.

The subsea construction vessel Khankendi is providing life-of-field services, surveys and interventions across all the Shah Deniz 2 and ACG subsea producing assets, in addition to emergency response.

To ensure efficient use of the vessel and the Shah Deniz 2 drilling rigs, Istiglal and Heydar Aliyev, bp and its partners have put in place an integrated schedule designed to optimize activities and advance well startup dates.

During the quarter, the Istiglal rig performed re-completion of the SDF02 well and started de-completion of the SDF04 well on the West South flank. The Heydar Aliyev rig completed drilling of the SDD05 well on the West Flank and started drilling the SDH04 well on the East North flank.

To date, 22 wells have been drilled for Shah Deniz 2, comprising five on the North flank, five on the West flank, four on the East South flank, five on the West South flank, and three on the East North flank.

Finally, bp continues evaluation of the hydrocarbons from the first exploration well (SAXo1) on the Shafag-Asiman offshore block, and it is planning future activities.