First gas from Absheron field planned to be produced in 2020
Baku, April 12 (AZERTAC). Total expects to receive first gas from the Absheron field located in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea in 2020, General Manager Christian Giudicelli told the journalists.
Total is the operator of the Absheron project with a 40 percent stake. Its partners are Azerbaijan`s state energy firm SOCAR, which also has 40 percent, and GDF Suez with 20 percent.
Giudicelli said Total E&P Azerbaijan will present a program on the development of the field to SOCAR. It is expected to receive the first gas by 2020 following the implementation of the program, he added.
Speaking about the volumes of production at the field, Giudicelli said that according to projections, the annual production volume is expected to be three to five billion cubic meters during the first phase of the field development.
According to him, preparations are underway on the field development related issues, in particular, subsea infrastructure, a rig for drilling and other issues.
Azerbaijan announced the discovery of large gas reserves on the Absheron field in 2011. The field`s potential reserves amount to 350 billion cubic meters of gas and 45 million tons of condensate.
The Absheron gas field is situated in the Caspian Sea, about 62 miles (100 km) south of the Azerbaijani capital, Baku. It covers an area of about 100 square miles (270 square km) and lies 16 miles north-east of Shah Deniz, the largest natural gas field in Azerbaijan.
The contract on the Absheron field was signed on February 27, 2009 between SOCAR and Total. Later Total sold 20 percent equity participation to Gaz De France Suez.
Experts assessed the discovery of large reserves of gas at the Absheron field as a great achievement for future Caspian potential energy supplies to Europe.
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