BP says technology helped keep ACG production decline below industry average

BP has managed to keep production decline at Azerbaijan’s giant Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) oilfield at around 3% per year, well below the industry average of 5%-6% for fields of similar size, BP’s regional president for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, Giovanni Cristofoli said.

Cristofoli said the result was achieved through the use of 4D seismic surveys, artificial intelligence and advanced drilling technologies.

“For a field of this scale, the natural decline rate is typically around 5%-6% per year. At ACG, it is about 3%, which is among the best performances in the industry,” he said during Baku Energy Week.

He said BP is carrying out a five-year 4D seismic programme that allows the company to track fluid movements in the reservoir. According to Cristofoli, it is one of the largest seismic campaigns in BP’s history.

BP, SOCAR and other partners have also established an artificial intelligence company in Azerbaijan that processes seismic data, removes noise and improves the quality of geological information.

Cristofoli said AI technologies have helped cut the time needed to plan new wells from around 300 days to about 50 days through automation of several engineering processes.

The company is also using geosteering and horizontal drilling technologies to improve well placement and maximise recovery rates.

BP continues to advance projects including Absheron and Karabakh and is introducing new offshore engineering solutions in the Caspian Sea that have previously been used in the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

N.Tebrizli