Azerbaijan enters new phase of oil and gas field development, SOCAR says

Azerbaijan is entering a new phase in the development of its mature oil and gas fields, with advanced technologies expected to play a key role in boosting production and extending field life, AzerNEWS reports, citing SOCAR Vice President Babek Huseynov.

Speaking during a panel discussion at the 31st Baku Energy Forum, he noted that rapid technological advancements are transforming the global oil and gas industry and creating new opportunities for reservoir development.

According to him, technologies such as extended-reach drilling, multilateral well completions, artificial intelligence, advanced seismic imaging and digital reservoir management are increasingly being adopted across the sector.

"The technological landscape of the oil and gas industry is evolving rapidly, and these innovations are enabling a new stage of production development," Huseynov said.

He emphasized that many of these technologies have not yet been fully utilized in mature fields, including the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) block, Azerbaijan's largest oil-producing asset.

Huseynov said SOCAR has encouraged operators to accelerate the deployment of horizontal and multilateral wells at ACG in order to improve reservoir access and maximize recovery rates.

According to the SOCAR official, the successful application of these technologies demonstrates the potential for further efficiency gains and production optimization in mature assets.

Huseynov also highlighted the future of the Bahar and Gum-Deniz fields, announcing that both assets are entering a new stage of development.

He added that the Bahar field, which has experienced declining production for many years, is now being revitalized through a fundamentally new development approach.