LUKOIL Environmental Impact Assessment for Drilling

[INTRO]LUKOIL has completed an environmental impact assessment for drilling at the Yalama offshore structure in Azerbaijan[/INTRO]

LUKOIL Overseas has completed an environmental impact assessment for the construction of the second exploration well on the prospective block D-222 (Yalama) in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, the company said in a statement.
In January, a marine expedition aboard the research vessel Alif Hajiyev studied the baseline environmental condition of the contract area. This was followed by modelling of environmental impacts both under normal drilling operations (the powerful modern Heydar Aliyev drilling rig will be used) and in possible emergency situations. An infrared satellite image of the work area was interpreted, and calculations were made to assess the risk and the damage caused to nature.
The key question of the assessment was determining the extent of damage to fish stocks. Given the specifics of offshore drilling technology and the water depth at the well site (about 700 m), the damage will be minimal and limited only to the removal of food organisms, plankton and benthos, from fishery use.
To mitigate the negative environmental impact, an emergency rescue vessel will be on constant standby in the drilling area. In addition, the plans include implementing an environmental monitoring system, developing oil spill response and emergency response plans, periodic diver inspections and technical checks of the casing string, restrictions on process operations when weather conditions deteriorate, and a number of other necessary measures. All work will be carried out in strict compliance with the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Environmental Protection".
Drilling, to be carried out by Overseas Operating Company Ltd., the operator of the exploration, development and production sharing project for the prospective block, is scheduled to begin in November from the Heydar Aliyev drilling rig owned by Denmark's Maersk.
The depth of the second exploration well will be about 2650 m. It will be drilled 22 km from the first exploration well. In November 2007, engineering and geological surveys were carried out at the proposed drilling site of the second well at a depth of 656- 720 m.
In 2005, LUKOIL drilled the first well at Yalama to a depth of 4400 m against a design depth of 4500 m. During drilling, small volumes of hydrocarbons were encountered that are of no commercial interest to the company.
The Heydar Aliyev rig is designed to drill wells up to nine thousand m deep in water depths of up to a thousand metres. The maximum depth of the Caspian is 1025 m., which means the rig can operate across practically its entire water area.
The contract for the development of the Yalama structure was signed on 3 July 1997. Block D-222 is part of the Yalama structure, which lies in equal parts in the Azerbaijani and Russian sectors of the Caspian Sea, 30 km from shore, at depths of 80 to 700 m.
In 2003, a package of agreements on additional terms for the exploration and development of block D-222 was signed, providing for an increase of the LUKOIL group's share in the project to 80 percent and an expansion of the contract area to 3 thousand sq. km. In 2006, the contract area was reduced to 1.3 thousand sq. km, and the exploration period was extended to 1 November 2009.

Source: www.capital.trend.az