The data obtained last year from drilling a gas well at the Zapadny Chirag platform in the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field block have strategic importance for the further development of untapped gas reserves, Bakhityar Aslanbeyli, Vice President of BP for Communications and External Relations in the Caspian region. said in an interview with Caspian Barrel.

According to him, the drilling allowed access to two priority gas reservoirs located below the current oil horizons - the shallower Qırmakıüstü Qumlu and the deeper Qırmakıaltı. The obtained data laid the foundation for planning further production of free natural gas at the ACG field, The Caspian Post reports, local media.

Aslanbeyli reported that the production from the Qırmakıaltı reservoir is planned to begin in the first half of this year. This phase will be short-term and exploratory in nature. After the completion of the test operations, production will continue from the Qırmakıüstü Qumlu reservoir, with its launch scheduled for the second half of 2026.

It should be noted that on September 20, 2024, an addendum to the production sharing agreement for the Azeri, Chirag, and deep-water part of Gunashli fields was signed. The document provides for the possibility of exploration, assessment, development, and production of free natural gas in the ACG block. According to BP's estimate, the volume of these reserves could reach 4 trillion cubic feet (approximately 113 billion cubic meters).

The participants in the ACG project include BP (30.37%), SOCAR (31.65%), Mol (9.57%), Inpex (9.31%), ExxonMobil (6.79%), TPAO (5.73%), Itochu (3.65%), and ONGC Videsh (2.92%).