Baku: 24 wells have been drilled to date for the Shah Deniz 2 project, according to bp Azerbaijan. These comprise five wells on the North flank, five on the West flank, four on the East South flank, five on the West South flank, and five on the East North flank.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, in the first half of 2026, Shah Deniz 2 advanced the subsea execution scope of the West flank wells, with the fifth well on this flank starting up in April. The subsea construction vessel Khankendi remains focused on completing the remaining wells, while also participating in a multi-well subsea intervention campaign in the ACG Deepwater Gunashli area to support pressure management and production rate enhancement. The diving support vessel Tofig Ismayilov has been providing comprehensive support, ensuring efficient vessel and rig utilization to optimize activities and accelerate well start-up dates.
The Shah Deniz Compression (SDC) project has also progressed safely and ahead of schedule. The Bayil fabrication yard and the Heydar Aliyev Baku Deepwater Jackets Factory have been advancing topsides and jacket fabrication activities, with significant progress on primary steel and structural components. Marine and subsea engineering activities are on track, with successful completion of key technical reviews. The fabrication of the high-voltage subsea interconnector power, fiber-optic cable, and subsea pipe sections has also been completed.
Procurement has been advancing across several critical package streams, aligning with fabrication and installation timelines. The $2.9 billion SDC project aims to access and produce low-pressure gas reserves in the field, enabling around 50 billion cubic meters of additional gas and 25 million barrels of additional condensate production and export. The project includes the installation of an electrically-powered unmanned compression platform and associated facilities offshore in the Shah Deniz contract area, along with brownfield works at the Shah Deniz Alpha and Bravo platforms, and the Sangachal terminal.
Additional perforation activities were completed on the SDA09, SDA07, and SDA04 wells at the Shah Deniz Alpha platform, with drilling commenced on the SDA12 well. The wells program activities progressed with the Istiglal and Heydar Aliyev rigs. The Istiglal rig completed the SDD05 well on the West flank and is undertaking completion activities on the SDH04 well on the East North flank. The Heydar Aliyev rig completed the SDH05 well on the East North flank and is preparing for drilling the SDD06 well on the West flank.