BP installs first Shah Deniz 2 platform topsides

Oil major BP has installed the Shah Deniz Phase 2 Quarters and Utilities (QU) topsides in the Caspian Sea.

BP said that the float-over operations for the Shah Deniz 2 Quarters and Utilities (QU) topside started by the STB-1 transportation barge moving into the jacket slot. The float-over operation for the very first Shah Deniz 2 topsides was completed with full load transfer onto the jacket at 15:00 on Monday.

The British oil company added that the first residents of the new platform, the platform manager and the initial hook-up and commissioning (HUC) team, transferred to the platform after the float-over to begin HUC operations.

Ewan Drummond, BP’s Vice President of projects, said: “This is very good news with the QU deck float over operation successfully completed. And it is great to see it was executed safely.

“I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this milestone through all phases of project preparation and execution.”

Offshore Energy Today reported last month that BP had sent the Shah Deniz Stage 2 QU topsides to its offshore location in the Caspian Sea.

The QU topsides unit weighs about 12,400 tonnes and is 100 meters long by 60 meters wide. It contains 100-person living quarters, four main power generators totaling 60MW, ten direct electrical heating modules and a range of subsea production equipment.

Shah Deniz Stage 2 is a project that will add a further 16 billion cubic meters per year (bcma) of gas production to the approximately nine bcma produced by Shah Deniz Stage 1. The Shah Deniz Stage 2 includes two new bridge-linked offshore platforms and a total of 26 gas production wells to be drilled with two semi-submersible rigs. Around 500 km of subsea pipelines will link the wells with the onshore terminal. The project will also include an upgrade of the offshore construction vessels, and expansion of the Sangachal terminal to accommodate the new gas processing and compression facilities.

First gas is targeted in late 2018, with supplies to Georgia and Turkey. Gas deliveries to Europe are expected just over a year after first gas.