Implementation of the new oil strategy, developed under leadership of Heydar Aliyev, has significantly increased the economic strength and international prestige of Azerbaijan. The country’s transformation into a guarantor of world energy security is the result of the effective use of available natural resources. Today, the country’s oil strategy, enriched with new ideas, is developing under leadership of President Ilham Aliyev.
At present, SOCAR implements projects of regional and global significance, thereby making its significant contribution to the development of the country’s economy. The country’s energy resources and export opportunities are expanding owing to new geological discoveries and operation of new fields.
To ensure successful continuation of works in these directions, the Complex Drilling Works Trust was established in accordance with the Azerbaijan President’s order #539 dated March 7, 2007 implying supplements into the President’s earlier order #844 dated January 24, 2003 “About improvement of the structure of the State Oil Company of AR”, and SOCAR’s order #51 dated March 12, 2007.
At present the Complex Drilling Works Trust operates six production units (Bulla-8 March-Umid PU, Gunashli PU, Neft Dashlary PU, Garadagh-Galmaz PU, Absheron PU and Siazan PU), Gazmaservis and Logistics Unit, Backfill Unit and Storage Facilities Unit.
The emphasis that the management team of SOCAR lays on the conduct of drilling operations arouses a desire in drill men to work with even greater determination to strengthen the growing economic power and development of the country’s oil industry.
As a result, the last 10 years marked special achievements of the staff. So, during these 10 years the staff of the Complex Drilling Works Trust drilled 1,272,779 meters at onshore and offshore areas of the country. Drilling of 744 wells was commenced within 10 years. Besides, drilling of 770 wells was completed. 798 wells were provided to clients.
The staff of the Complex Drilling Works Trust started 2017 successfully as well. Thus, 40,800m was drilled instead of planned 36,906m during January-April 2017, which means overachievement of target by 110.6% (+3,894m). January-April marked the start of drilling of 25 wells, completion of drilling of 21 wells and delivery of 20 completed wells to the field men. Thus, according to the above-mentioned indicators, the plan was overachieved by 108.7%, 105.0% and 111.1% respectively.
Complex Drilling Works Trust conducts drilling of exploratory and production wells at onshore and offshore sites of the country, which belong to SOCAR. The Trust performs this work by using new technical facilities and technologies meeting requirements of international standards.
All these operations are carried out in a timely and high-quality manner in line with environmental and personnel’s safety regulations, as well as with high-level observance of operational and labor discipline.
Following the information base provided by clients, the staff of the Complex Drilling Works Trust cooperates closely with SOCAR’s departments, which possess huge scientific potential, in order to maintain stable oil production in the republic.
In spite of the fact that 10 years have passed since the establishment of the Complex Drilling Works Trust, it managed to gain significant success. Performing prospecting and exploration work on Bulla-Deniz, Goshadash, Jahandar, Turkan, Beyimdag-Tekchay structures, Pirallahi and Muradkhanly islands, the Trust has successfully fulfilled the plan assigned to it by SOCAR. As a result, the drill men discovered and commissioned a rich gas-condensate field Umid – the first well was drilled by the staff of the Complex Drilling Works Trust. Drilling operations on the platform #1, installed on Umid structure, were performed by a modern drilling rig ZJ 70/4500 DZ. The rig is a latest achievement of drill men, equipped with top-drive mechanism, purchased from the USA and China, and meeting modern technical and technological standards. This project, implemented at Umid structure, has been one of the important facilities of the gas program.
The commissioning of Umid field has been a celebration of the economic power of Azerbaijan and logical completion of SOCAR’s becoming a world class company.
Unique Umid-1 platform was built by own efforts of SOCAR. Drilling of the exploratory well #10 from this platform was completed 4 months before the schedule, i.e. in summer 2012. The most advanced techniques and latest technologies were used while drilling this well. The well designed and drilled to the depth of 6,400m has fully tapped VII horizon of the productive stratum and fulfilled its geological mission. It should be noted that this well has demonstrated high efficiency since June 2012.
The indicators of this well confirm that Umid field possesses large hydrocarbon reserves and it once again proves that the mentioned field possesses the biggest gas reserves after Shah Deniz. Umid has also been the first field discovered after gaining a state independence. This achievement went down in history as an important success gained by drill men of Azerbaijan.
It must be noted that among fields discovered at the Baku archipelago it is Bulla-Deniz field which abounds in deposits and is promising from the standpoint of conduction of exploration in future. From this standpoint, successful completion of drilling operations carried out on Bulla Deniz field’s well #124 from the platform #122 as well as the handover of this well can be assessed as a grandiose achievement of the Complex Drilling Works Trust. The management of SOCAR with its president Rovnag Abdullayev took part in this ceremony timed to coincide with the commencement of drilling operations. A ten block jacket, designed for drilling of three production wells, was installed at a depth of 26m of the sea. The most advanced technical and technological achievements, applied in the field of global drilling, were used while drilling the well #124.
In July 2015 Complex Drilling Works Trust started drilling the following well #125 with a targeted depth of 6,200m from the platform #122 installed on Bulla Deniz field.
The most advanced technical and technological innovations were applied during the well drilling. Continuous and hard work made it possible to drill down to 6,182m. The target horizon was fully tapped.
A packer with subsequent installation of production pumping-compression pipes (between 6,182-6003.5m) was launched on November 3, 2016 after the filter installation (between 6,092-6.140m). Well development work was carried out and the high-efficiency well was passed to the N.Narimanov OGPD.
Drilling of the production well #123 from site #122 located at Bulla-Deniz field started on January 5 2017. The drilling of the well is currently continued at a depth of 5,704m.
Exploratory well #91 is planned to be drilled in December 2017 from the platform #12 which is underconstruction at Bulla-Deniz field.
Drilling of the well #354 from the platform #14 at Guneshli field has been successfully completed. It is this platform from where the staff of the Complex Drilling Works Trust began drilling the well #355 on April 20, 2017. The most advanced technical and technological innovations, which are currently applied in the world drilling industry, are also used in this well.
Besides, it is planned to start drilling horizontal well #6 from the platform 54 at West Absheron field in May.
The staff of the Trust will continue drilling works at such offshore fields as Neft Dashlari, Banka Darvina and Chilov in 2017.
Onshore drilling is carried out at Pirallakhy, Garadagh and Sadan areas. Important work on upgrading of the obsolete and worn-out equipment was carried out in order to ensure high speed drilling in Pirallahi. Operations are underway to drill the perspective well #1132 by using drilling unit of ZJ-40 type.
Important activities have been performed in recent years to improve the gas demand of households in the autumn/winter months. Consistent works are in process to expand the capacity of the functioning domestic Garadagh underground gas storage as provided by the agenda prepared by the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Drilling of new wells is currently continued at Garadag section of Azneft PU’s gas storages department. 5 wells drilled at Garadagh site by using units of ZJ-50 and ZJ-40 type were handed to a client in 2015. 4 wells were delivered in 2016. Drilling work is ongoing on well #495 by using drilling unit of ZJ-50 type. Due to the increase of the drilling progress (16,856m) in 2017, the unit of ZJ-40 type was replaced by the machine of ZJ-50 type in order to ensure much higher drilling speed.
In general, the staff of the Trust, which uses modern equipment, advanced techniques and latest technologies, mobilized all its capacities in order to successfully complete exploratory and production drilling both onshore and offshore throughout the rest period of 2017. Every member of the staff works hard in order to ensure timely and qualitative fulfillment of tasks which were assigned to them by the state.
