Page 14 - FSUOGM Week 27 2021

FSUOGM PROJECTS & COMPANIES FSUOGM

Azerbaijan’s mystery Caspian

explosion was a mud volcano

AZERBAIJAN A blast in the Caspian Sea seen from Baku and They added the volcano does not pose a
heard further down in Iran has been identified threat to offshore oil and gas infrastructure and
Azerbaijan is home to as a mud volcano explosion, Report said on other facilities, as well as human life.
nearly a third of the July 5. The island off the coast of Azerbaijan was first
world's 1,700 mud Initial reports on social media from Azerbai- reported by Russian Imperial explorers in the
volcanoes. jan said a gas explosion at an offshore drilling rig 1800s but has been avoided by successive gov-
or pipeline was the source of the large explosion ernments due to its changing topography.
heard hundreds of miles away, but this was later Azerbaijan's State Oil and Gas Company
denied by the Azerbaijani authorities when the (SOCAR) said the late night eruption had not
location was discovered as an offshore mud vol- impaired infrastructure, which "proceeds oper-
cano was named as the culprit. ating normally".
"Early this morning, reconnaissance flights Azerbaijan is home to nearly a third of the
were carried out in the Caspian Sea with the help world's 1,700 mud volcanoes, both underground
of a helicopter of the Ministry's Aviation Detach- and underwater.
ment. According to preliminary observations, a There were initial fears of a similar incident to
mud volcano erupted on Dashli Ada, about 30 the fatal one that occured at a SOCAR-operated
kilometres from the coast in the direction of the platform at the Gunashli field. A fire broke out at
Salyan district,” authorities said. the platform, resulting in 30 deaths.™

BP draws up environmental

assessment for SWAP drilling

AZERBAIJAN BP has produced an environmental assess- (PSA) with Azerbaijan’s state-owned SOCAR to
ment (ESIA) for drilling at the Shallow Water explore SWAP back in 2014. The contract area
BP had hoped to kick Absheron Peninsula (SWAP) area, APA reported lies along the margins of the Caspian Basin to
off drilling in 2019. on July 1. the south of the Absheron Peninsula, covering
The ESIA examines the potential environ- waters 40 metres deep.
mental and socio-economic impacts of the The IOC shot 3D seismic surveys at the site in
exploration drilling activities and describes the 2016, but did not shore up drilling plans until late
recommended mitigation measures. 2018, following a modest recovery in oil prices.
Three areas have been identified as part of the BP had initially hoped to start drilling in 2019
project including exploration and drilling–with but it had to wait until the Kazakhstan-owned
one well to be explored in each area, making Satti jack-up rig had undergone upgrades.
three wells. According to BP’s latest update, drilling is
BP signed a production-sharing agreement expected to start at some point this year. ™

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 27 07•July•2021