PROSPECTS FOR AZLAB WITH NEW COMPLEX

Twenty years has elapsed since the contract of the century was signed which opened the way for Azerbaijan's oil strategy proclaimed by national leader Heydar Aliyev. Since that day, a good deal of change has taken place not only in the sphere of improving the mechanisms for oil and gas production and transportation but also in developing and expanding scientific research work in this domain.

A brilliant case in point is the activity of the Azlab exploration and survey centre which has become one of the region's largest research centre. Azlab's activity consists in extensive analysis of core, oil, gas and condensate samples from producing and exploratory wells on orders from local and foreign companies. Azerbaijan pays much attention to the sphere of geology and geophysics, SOCAR company head Rovnaq Abdullayev said recently at the inaugural ceremony at Azlab's new administrative building. "Azlab has a collection of data on prospecting surveys conducted on Azerbaijani fields in the past. Now this enterprise is fitted out with cutting-edge equipment and this will enable us to achieve even greater successes," he said.

Thus, for instance, Azlab's cooperation under contract with BP began in 1996, when the GCA-1 well was drilled on the Ciraq [Chirag]. platform, and will continue until 2014. Under the contract, the centre is carrying out extensive examination of samples of core, oil and gas taken from all explorative wells on the fields of Azeri, Ciraq, Gunasli [Guneshli] and Sah Daniz [Shah Deniz]. 

According to Rafiqa Huseynzada, SOCAR vice-president and chairperson of the board of directors of Azlab, the centre has a geochemical and an analytical labs as well as labs for analysing core and PVT. They are furnished with equipment based on cutting edge technologies making it possible to thoroughly examine samples taken out of wells and carry out geochemical analysis and PVT experiments. The PVT lab, R.Huseynzada said, is the region's only one doing thermodynamic studies of in-situ hydrocarbon systems using samples taken from the bottom, bore and mouth of a well and from a separator and pipelines.

All works including taking samples from wells, doing research work and express tests with the use of fixed equipment at the wells are carried out by high-skilled specialists. During the period of its activity, the Azlab limited liability company has continuously paid close attention to matters related to personnel health and safety, high-quality control of the work and environmental protection and the centre has received required certificates to work in these spheres (ISO 9001:2008; ISO 14001-2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007, ISO/IEC17025)," R.Huseynzada said.

It should be noted that samples under examination are handed over to a core repository complex which meets modern international requirements. Azlab, the first core repository throughout the Caspian region, was opened in 2004, the SOCAR vice-president said. It was built using the company's own funds and design from leading Canadian experts working at the world-known company Datacon Core Repository Consulting Group Inc. "One can keep 15,000 metres of core here," R.Huseynzada added.

The companies cooperating with Azlab include such oil and gas giants as BP, Statoil. Total, Lukoil, EXXON Conoco Phillips and the companies Karasu, Shirvan Oil and Binaqadi Oil. 

Moreover, the company's performance has received recognition from companies based in Georgia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and they are actively using the opportunities provided by the research centre.

Since 2005, at the Dubendi terminal, Azlab has controlled the quality of oil from the Gunasli and the Oil Rocks [Azeri: Neft Daslari] oil fields. Since 2013, it has been checking petrol and diesel fuel at all SOCAR terminals in the country for compliance with international standards.

It is obvious how indispensable and invaluable Azlab's studies are: thanks to data obtained from them we can gather the full information on the geological structure of the area, prepare a lithographic and a bio stratigraphic logs for the wells. Meanwhile, determining specific features of the reservoir makes it possible to calculate the volume of hydrocarbon resources while correlation with offset wells makes it possible to plan future prospecting and exploration works.

Roughly the same problems are solved through PVT experiments and geochemical researches the results of which are widely used in calculating hydrocarbon reserves and preparing development projects, reservoir simulation and well finishing design.

Thus during a very short period of time, the Azlab centre organized provision of oil and gas research services needed in Azerbaijan and at the same time, achieved international standards in this business and received recognition from world leading companies.