Exploration activity in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea is set to go deeper, with the news that the first well to be drilled in a Chevron project will be in more than 1,630ft (500m) of water.

The well will be spudded in the Absheron block, with the well's total depth set at 21,196ft (6,500m). Compared to drilling operations conducted in the Caspian to date, this latest spud will be the deepest water depth well yet.
The well's objective is to evaluate the reservoirs down to the Balakhani/Fasila sands. Chevron Overseas Petroleum Azerbaijan Ltd. (Copal), the operating company for exploration of the Absheron offshore block in Azerbaijan, believes that the drilling risk from gas pockets or unstable formations down to 3,281ft (1,000m) below sea level will be low.
However, large increases and changes in pressure are expected drilling in the productive zone, and Chevron plans to use its high-pressure formations experience gained while drilling in the South China Sea, the US Gulf and offshore Australia.
This well is not the first new one to get under way however, as it has been preceded by an appraisal well spudded by a consortium led by Italy's Agip. The Italian's Azeri subsidiary AKD Petroleum Operating Co. is drilling its first appraisal on the Kurdashi field.
The test well, called Araz Deniz 1X, is expected to take the Istiqlal rig around 85 days to drill before testing takes place, said Agip's Azerbaijan manager, Eros Agostinelli. He added that the second Kurdashi well would probably be spudded in the first quarter of 2001.
The AKD consortium is the first joint venture to drill an appraisal well in the Azeri sector since the BP Amoco-led group discovered huge gas reserves in its Shakh Deniz test program.
Socar estimates AKD's three structures could contain 660 million bbl of oil. These three plays are southwest of Baku close to the shore, with water depths ranging from 164 to 1,969ft (50 to 600m).

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