TPG500 Shah Deniz Production and Drilling Jack-up

In year 2006, BP the operator of the Shah Deniz gas and condensate development project, has successfully deployed and installed the TPG 500 platform at its permanent location in the Shah Deniz gas-condensate field in the Caspian Sea, approximately 100 km to the south of Baku.

All platform systems had been tested and commissioned prior to the April 10th sail away from the Zykh yard in Baku, where the platform and associated seabed foundations were built and assembled. The platform was then towed to an intermediate location some 70 km from Baku, where the platform legs were successfully mated to the three foundation cans which are each 30 metres in diameter and 15 metres in height and weigh 1400 tonnes. The TPG 500 platform ( Technip design ) was then towed to its final location in 105 m of water, where the legs were lowered and then cemented in place. Final installation of the platform over the pre-drill well template required critical precision. This unique installation method was successfully completed offshore on April 2006.

The TPG 500 is a unique achievement for the Caspian. The entire platform, including the legs, was assembled at the Zykh construction yard near Baku. The three legs for the platform and their foundation structures, were built entirely in the Zykh 3 area of the yard, whilst the whole platform was assembled at the quayside of Zykh 4. Only two other platforms of this type have ever been built, both of which are operating in the UK North Sea.

The TPG-500 platform is a large jack-up comprising drilling, production and accommodation for 120 personnel with a total weight of 32,000 tonnes (topsides 22,000 tonnes, legs and foundations 10,000 tonnes). The platform’s drilling facilities are capable of drilling wells with a length of over 7 km and with an outreach of more than 3 km, while its production facilities are capable of processing approximately 1 billion cubic feet (28.5 million cm) of gas and 60 thousand barrels (8000 tonnes) of condensate per day. Gas and condensate from the field will be transported via sub sea pipelines to the Sangachal terminal.

It is the culmination of three years of hard work by over 5000 people, many countries from Singapore, Norway, France, Germany, USA, Turkey to Azerbaijan involved in the design, fabrication, construction, transportation and hook up and commissioning. At the peak of construction activities Zykh employed approximately 3500 people more than 80% of whom were Azerbaijani nationals. Their performance has been exceptional, both in terms of safety and of quality. Prior to sail away the Zykh yard had completed more than 13 million man hours without a lost time accident. In addition, the project utilized the services of some 257 local companies for provision of equipment, material and other services to the yard.

The parties to the Shah Deniz Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) are: BP (operator – 25,5%), Statoil (25,5%), the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR – 10%), LUKoil (10%), NICO (10%), Total (10%), and TPAO (9%).