Baku: BP, as the operator of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field development project, announced on behalf of ACG partners - SOCAR, MOL, INPEX, ExxonMobil, TPAO, and ONGC Videsh - that free natural gas (FNG) production operations have started at the ACG field located in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, BP told APA-Economics.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, this marks the start of the first commercial gas production operations at ACG, which is one of the world's largest oil fields. The first FNG well drilled from the existing West Chirag platform represents an important step towards unlocking the potential of ACG's significant free natural gas reserves. Alongside initial production, the well will provide crucial reservoir and flow data, aiding in the assessment of gas reserves for future full-scale development plans.

The volume of ACG's FNG reserves is considered substantial, with approximately 4 trillion cubic feet of recoverable reserves and the potential to increase to 6 trillion cubic feet. Giovanni Cristofoli, BP's regional president for Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Trkiye, highlighted the significance of this development, stating that the field's transition to gas production opens a new chapter in its history and continues to create value for the country and its investors.

The first FNG production operations at ACG have commenced in the first production well targeting two priority FNG reservoirs located beneath the oil-bearing formations drilled last year. These include the Fasila Sandy reservoir and the deeper Balakhany Sandy reservoir sequence. The well has confirmed the presence of gas reserves in the Fasila Sandy reservoir sequence and identified high-pressure gas reserves in the Balakhany Sandy reservoir sequence.

Initial FNG production operations have begun in the Balakhany Sandy reservoir sequence and, besides representing the initial production phase, include testing activities in the well and reservoir sequence. The gas and condensate produced from the well will be transported to the Sangachal Terminal using the existing ACG infrastructure, integrating oil and gas processing systems and creating opportunities for efficient utilization of the existing offshore facilities.