Tamam Bayatli: Karabakh project will not require creation of additional transport systems

The implementation of the Karabakh oil field project will not require significant investments in infrastructure reconstruction, head of the press service of BP Azerbaijan, Tamam Bayatli, said during an online meeting dedicated to discussing the Environmental Impact Assessment document for the seismic survey program of the Karabakh project.

According to her, operations at the Karabakh contract area will mainly be carried out using the existing infrastructure.

"In 2024, we joined this project with a 35% stake and simultaneously began operations as the operator. The remaining 65% belongs to SOCAR," she said.

Bayatl noted that the Karabakh contract area covers an already explored oil field: "It is mainly an oil field, but gas reserves are also expected. The contract area is located approximately 120 km from Baku and only 20 km from the Guneshli field. This proximity allows for more efficient operations."

She added that during the project implementation, there will be no need for major infrastructure reconstruction.

"The infrastructure of the Karabakh field will be connected to the existing Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) infrastructure, and the produced hydrocarbons will be transported via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. This is an advantageous solution both in terms of time and costs. There is no need to create additional export or transport systems. Only certain technical works will be carried out to integrate with existing systems," she noted.

The BP representative stated that one of the main advantages of the Karabakh project is its geographical proximity and the efficient use of existing infrastructure: "We consider this project to be profitable and sustainable both for Azerbaijan and for the partner companies. Production is expected to start quickly and at lower costs thanks to the existing energy infrastructure."