Azeri–Chirag–Gunashli | |
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Location of Azeri–Chirag–Gunashli | |
Country | Azerbaijan |
Region | Caspian Sea |
Offshore/onshore | Offshore |
Coordinates | 40°1′4″N 51°15′58″E / 40.01778°N 51.26611°ECoordinates: 40°1′4″N 51°15′58″E / 40.01778°N 51.26611°E |
Operator | AIOC |
Partners | BP, SOCAR, Chevron, Inpex, Statoil, ExxonMobil, TPAO, , ONGC Videsh |
Field history | |
Discovery | 1985 |
Start of production | 1997 |
Peak year | 2010 |
Production | |
Current production of oil | 631,000 barrels per day (~3.14×10 7 t/a) |
Year of current production of oil | 2016 |
Current production of gas | 10×10 6 m3/d (350×10 6 cu ft/d) |
Estimated oil in place | 5,000 million barrels (~6.8×10 8 t) |
Azeri–Chirag–Gunashli (ACG, Azerbaijani: Azəri-Çıraq-Günəşli) or Azeri–Chirag–Deepwater Gunashli is a complex of oil fields in the Caspian Sea, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) off the coast of Azerbaijan. It consist of Azeri and Chirag oil fields, and the deepwater portion of the Gunashli oil field. An overall estimated area of the development is 432.4 square kilometres (167.0 sq mi). It is developed by the Azerbaijan International Operating Company, a consortium of international oil companies, and operated by BP on behalf of the consortium. The ACG fields have estimated recoverable reserves of about 5 to 6 billion barrels (790 to 950 million cubic metres) of petroleum. As of the end of 2005, the production rate from eight pre-drilled wells at the platform was approximately 240,000 barrels per day (38,000 m3/d).
The peak of oil production, 835,000 barrels per day (132,800 m3/d), was reached in third quarter of 2010. In the first quarter of 2012 oil production was about 710,000 barrels per day (113,000 m3/d).
BP reports that crude oil from ACG is exported through the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline to the Mediterranean Sea and the Baku-Supsa Pipeline to Supsa in Georgia, as well as through the Baku-Novorossiysk Pipeline to Novorossiysk in Russia. It is also believed that there are large untapped gas reserves under ACG oilfields. Media reports indicate that according to American Consulting Association IHS CERA (Cambridge Energy Research Associates), the Azeri–Chirag–Gunashli is the third largest oil-field development out of 20 listed. Total investment is estimated at US$20 billion. As of 2008 reports, oil coming from ACG field accounts to nearly 80% of Azerbaijan's total oil output and is expected to bring Azerbaijan potentially $80 billion in profits.