Environmental baseline set for ADUA project area using nearby studies

Baseline environmental data for the Ashrafi–Dan Ulduzu–Aypara (ADUA) offshore area of the Absheron Peninsula has been compiled based on the results of ecological studies conducted in neighboring areas, Ulviyya Seyidmammadova, Azerbaijan manager at RSK, said during an online public meeting dedicated to the seismic survey program for the ADUA project, Report informs.

She said that the initial environmental assessment relied on the results of environmental studies carried out by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) in 2017 and 2020 in the neighboring Karabakh contract area. Those studies were conducted at water depths of 150–200 meters.

"In determining the initial environmental baseline for the ADUA area, reliable and representative ecological studies previously conducted in the region were taken as the basis," Seyidmammadova noted.

She added that the initial data set also includes the results of an environmental survey conducted by BP in 2018 at the NKX-1 well in the northern part of the Shallow Water Absheron Peninsula area. That study, carried out at depths of 18–23 meters, provides representative data on shallow-water environments of the Caspian Sea.

Seyidmammadova said that literature reviews prepared by local scientific experts were also used during the preliminary assessment. These reviews cover existing scientific information on Caspian seals, birds, as well as fish and fisheries.

She noted that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) documents prepared for 2D/3D seismic surveys conducted in 2019 and for the drilling of the Aypara-1 well also referenced environmental studies carried out in the neighboring Karabakh area.

At the same time, it was noted that BP plans to conduct baseline environmental surveys in 2026 to support the preparation of an EIA document for a future exploration well in the ADUA area.

As part of the environmental studies in the Karabakh contract area, plankton samples were collected at 10 stations. The surveys identified 21 species of phytoplankton and 15 species of zooplankton. The non-native diatom species Rhizosolenia calcar-avis was numerically dominant in the samples, while Acartia tonsa and Eurytemora minor prevailed among zooplankton species. The invasive species Mnemiopsis leidyi was not recorded in the 2020 studies.

Seyidmammadova also said that during the NKX-1 well survey conducted in July 2018, plankton samples were collected from four areas. The results identified 36 phytoplankton species, with diatoms and dinoflagellates accounting for about 80 percent of total biomass. Among zooplankton, Acartia tonsa was dominant, while Mnemiopsis was observed only in small numbers.

The studies also showed that larvae of gastropods, bivalves, and barnacles were recorded in both the Karabakh area and the NKX-1 surveys.

On September 20, 2024, SOCAR and BP signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Karabakh oil field and the Ashrafi–Dan Ulduzu–Aypara area in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea.