Acquisition and refurbishment of the Caspian Sea MODU Kaspmorneft
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, several international oil companies began negotiations to participate in the development of the region`s hydrocarbon reserves. One of the first agreements to be concluded was the production-sharing agreement (PSA) between the Republic of Azerbaijan and a consortium of 11 companies that were the founding members of Azerbaijan Intl. Operating Co. (AIOC). Water depth of the Caspian Sea in the AIOC area of interest varies between 80 and 300 m. Marine-vessel access to the Caspian Sea is possible form the Volga-Don waterway or from the Volga River. There are no existing mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) able to navigate either waterway without significant modification. The indigenous MODU fleet of the Caspian Sea consists of five semisubmersible and six jackup units. The first of the semisubmersibles was the Kaspmorneft, a Freide and Goldman-designed pacesetter rig built in modules and assembled in Astrakhan, Russia. The four other semisubmersibles were Soviet-designed and -built shelf-class rigs that were also assembled in Astrakhan. The rigs were in a very poor state of repair and required significant investment to bring them to internationally recognized standards of safety and operating efficiency.
- OSTI ID:
- 465173
- Journal Information:
- JPT, Journal of Petroleum Technology, Journal Name: JPT, Journal of Petroleum Technology Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 49; ISSN 0149-2136; ISSN JPTJAM
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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