Dragon to add two platforms off Turkmenistan

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, May 14 -- Dragon Oil PLC let construction contracts for two production platforms to be installed in 2011-12 in its Cheleken contract area in the Caspian Sea off Turkmenistan.

Including the expenditure on the two platforms, Dragon Oil plans to spend $250 million in 2010 and $600-700 million in total on infrastructure projects in the 2010-12 planning period.

One new platform each is to be installed in Lam and Zhdanov fields, from which oil production reached 50,000 b/d at the beginning of 2010 and averaged 40,992 b/d in 2008 and 44,765 b/d in 2009.

The Lam C platform, which will support a jack up and eight wells, is to be completed near the end of 2011. The Zhdanov A platform, which will support a land rig and jack up and as many as eight wells, is to be completed in the first quarter of 2012.

ILK Insaat Taah, San. Ve.tic Ltd. will build the Lam C platform, while Caspian Energy Projects LLC will construct Zhdanov A.

Dragon Oil plans to complete 11 wells in the contract area in 2010. A rig is drilling from the Lam B platform, which was installed in December 2009.