Uchenna Izundu
International Editor
LONDON, Jan. 23 -- BP PLC has shut in gas and condensate production at the Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan for the second time in a month due to problems with pressures in the well.
A BP spokesman explained that the company is trying to establish why there is a connection between the gas and inner annulus in the well and prevent this from happening. He was unable to specify when the well would come on stream again.
"We don't think that this will affect plateau production of 8.6 billion cu m/year of gas next year," he said. Production also was suspended in December at the well—the only producing one—because of rising pressure.
BP is developing the second well on Shah Deniz that should start producing before the end of March.
It is unclear where Azerbaijan and Georgia—both initial customers for the project—will import gas from to make up the shortfall since there is no production from Shah Deniz. Last month Georgia signed a temporary gas supply agreement with OAO Gazprom at what it considered to be extortionate prices because of the first production interruption at Shah Deniz.
The $4 billion project was officially launched in December by BP and its partners.
Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].
