Guneshli Shallow Water

Location

The Gunashli oil field is situated 120 kilometres (75 miles) east of Baku, Azerbaijan, and 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) southeast of the Oil Rocks field in the Caspian Sea.

History and Exploration

• The field was explored between 1958 and 1963.
• The first offshore platform was installed by 1976.
• Production in the shallow water section began in 1982.

Development and Production

• The shallow water section of Gunashli is developed by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR).
• This section is located in water depths of approximately 120 metres (390 feet).
• The initial production involved four steel jackets for drilling 10 wells, producing 320 tonnes of oil per day as of 1980 data.
• By 1995, the field was producing 120,000 barrels per day (19,000 m³/d) of oil. However, due to a steadily falling production rate, SOCAR undertook rehabilitation efforts, including the involvement of Kværner for project management.

Recent Developments and Production

• In March 2008, a high-flow-rate well (No. 244) was put into operation through platform No. 13, producing 140 tonnes of oil and 23,000 cubic metres (810,000 cu ft) of natural gas per day.
• Another well (No. 247) was drilled by the Bayil Limani Offshore Exploration Drilling Unit through platform No. 14, producing 100 tonnes per day.

Infrastructure

• The shallow water section includes several platforms, with the oldest being platform No. 10, which was in service since 1984 but suffered a significant fire in 2015.
• The platforms are equipped with drilling, utilities, and quarters facilities.

Incidents

• A notable incident occurred on July 12, 1986, when a fire broke out on an exploration platform, resulting in the deaths of three oil workers and two rescuers. This incident was attributed to either an engineer's error or faulty equipment.
• On December 4, 2015, a deadly fire broke out on platform No. 10, caused by a damaged high-pressure underwater gas pipeline during a heavy storm. This incident resulted in seven confirmed deaths, 23 missing workers, 33 rescued, and nine hospitalized.

Environmental and Operational Aspects

• The project involves various environmental and operational considerations, including produced water management and treatment. However, the shallow water section's specific environmental impact assessments are less detailed compared to the deeper water sections within the ACG project.

Current Status

• The Gunashli Shallow Water project continues to be an important part of Azerbaijan's oil production, although the production rates have fluctuated over the years due to various factors including maintenance and rehabilitation efforts.
• The field is believed to have more than 100 million tonnes of oil reserves, contributing significantly to Azerbaijan's oil output.