Partial shut down at Shah Deniz

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- The BP-led consortium managing the development of the Shah Deniz gas and condensate field in Azerbaijan halted production for repairs on one of its wells.

The State Oil Co. of Azerbaijan Republic, a member of the consortium at Shah Deniz, said it halted production at one of the five producing wells in the field, the Azerbaijan Business Center reports.

"The well is closed for repair work in order to eliminate existing problems," SOCAR said. "Dates of repair work are not fixed as yet because the estimation of problems and expenses on elimination of them are not carried out."

Gas exports from the offshore Shah Deniz go to satisfy Turkish and Georgian contracts before moving to regional pipelines and customers in Azerbaijan.

"In summer, Azerbaijan did not receive gas from Shah Deniz because it did not have demand for it," noted SOCAR.

Europe sees Azeri gas as a potential source for its $10.3 billion Nabucco pipeline. Andris Piebalgs, the European energy commissioner, said European supplies from Azerbaijan depended largely on demand.

"Gas producers in Azerbaijan find it most attractive that the EU is a non-politicized market where there is a great deal of buyers and each monopoly is disintegrated," he noted.