Absheron gas field
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Oil and gas |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Baku , Azerbaijan |
Area served | Caspian Sea |
Key people | Total (operator), SOCAR, GDF Suez |
| Products | Natural gas, gas condensate |
The Absheron gas field () is an offshore hydrocarbon reservoir situated in the Caspian Sea, positioned to the southeast of Baku and northeast relative to the Shah Deniz gas field. Its total area covers roughly .
The project partners consist of Total S.A. and SOCAR, each holding a 40% share, and GDF Suez with 20%, with Total acting as the lead operator.
History
Initially identified during Azerbaijani seismic surveys in 1960, the Absheron block was officially allocated for exploration activities in 1993. On August 1, 1997, SOCAR and ChevronTexaco entered into the first production sharing agreement, which included conducting seismic investigations over and drilling an exploratory well reaching a depth of . In 2001, gas condensate was discovered at , but the reserves were considered economically nonviable, prompting Chevron's withdrawal in 2005.
A subsequent contract was established between Total and SOCAR on February 27, 2009, and received ratification from the Azerbaijani Parliament by May that year. This agreement involved drilling three exploration wells within a three-year timeframe across an area of . Later, GDF Suez purchased a 20% interest from Total.
In September 2011, substantial gas quantities were confirmed at the Absheron X-2 well, which was drilled by the Heydar Aliyev rig operated by Maersk Drilling at a depth of .
Reserves
The field is estimated to contain around 350 billion cubic meters of natural gas along with approximately 45 million tons of gas condensate. This discovery increased Azerbaijan's total gas reserves from 2.2 trillion to about 2.5 trillion cubic meters. Production commencement is anticipated between 2021 and 2022, with plans to drill an additional exploration well reaching depths near 4,000 meters. Favorable exploration outcomes could allow the operator to install a fixed platform, potentially accelerating production timelines by five to six years.
Significance
The Absheron discovery is projected to substantially benefit Azerbaijan's economic growth and employment landscape. Industry analysts indicate that with effective development led by Total—holding a 10% share in the South Caucasus Pipeline Consortium—the field might sufficiently supply the Nabucco pipeline project exclusively with Azerbaijani gas. Nevertheless, following the selection of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) as the primary conduit for Azerbaijani exports to Europe, Absheron's strategic value has diminished due to TAP's more limited capacity demands.