On February 25, 2021, in Dubai, JSC NC
KazMunayGas (hereinafter – KMG) and the State Oil Company of the Republic of
Azerbaijan (hereinafter – SOCAR) agreed to jointly operate Satti Jack-Up
Drilling Rig (hereinafter - JUDR)
in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. The agreement on joint activities
between KMG Drilling&Services LLP (a subsidiary of KMG) and Caspian
Drilling Company Ltd (a subsidiary of SOCAR) provides for drilling 2
exploration and 1 option wells on the Shallow Water Absheron Peninsula structure
in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea using JUDR. The signing ceremony
was attended by the head of Samruk-Kazyna JSC Akhmetzhan Yessimov and Chairman
of the Board of KMG Alik Aidarbayev. Satti JUDR is the first offshore drilling
rig built in Kazakhstan. The JUDR is designed for drilling operations in the
Caspian Sea at a sea depth of up to 80 meters. Recall that on June 19, 2019,
the JUDR was towed to Baku under a trust management agreement between KMG
Drilling&Services LLP and Caspian Drilling Company Ltd. The contract
provided for the modification of the drilling rig, which will ensure the safe
and efficient drilling of exploration wells with a depth of more than 6,000
meters. Currently, the process of modification of the JUDR is at the completion
stage. According to KMG, participation in such projects makes it possible to
increase the competitiveness of Kazakhstan's oil and gas sector and gain
experience in offshore drilling operations.
