AZERBAIJAN OIL & GAS INDUSTRY BASIS
DEEPWATER PLATFORM PLANT NAMED AFTER HEYDAR ALIYEV

Hydrocarbon production in Azerbaijan has begun 150 tears ago. Technologies aimed to oil and gas production have been improved from year to year and there appeared high technologies and equipment instead of wells and pails. Since realization of oil contracts concluded during again gaining independence by Azerbaijan, there required the presence of developed infrastructure on construction of sea units. Basis of stated infrastructure, particularly the construction of the largest and unique in the field of Deepwater Platform Plant (D.P.P.) was established in 1979 by Nationwide Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev. D.P.P. should provide by construction of deep-water platforms not only on Caspian shelf but also on other aquatories' shelf of the former USSR. We kindly asked Director of D.P.P, Mr. Tahir Mammadov to tell us about company's future development.

History

The first support block of deep-water platform was launched from plant stock and sent to its point in August 1985. More than 1500 highskilled workers and specialists were trained for work at plant. In its equipping by technological and load lifting equipment the French firm "ETPM" and West Germany firm "DEMAG" took part.

In 1987 on the basis of "D.P.P" "Shelfproyectstroy" unity was formed for pro-duction of support parts of deepwater off-shore platforms, serving for oil and gas exploration and production from Caspian shelf part. Besides D.P.P. several construction and fitting, transportation, energetic departments, economic and trade enterprises are members of Production Organization "Shellproyectstroy" (P.O. "ShPS").

According to Decree of the former President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Heydar Aliyev dated January 24, 2003 the plant was returned previous name - Deepwater Platform Plant. And according to Decree of incumbent President, Mr. Ilham Aliyev dated March 10, 2004 D.P.P. became the one of four units in Azerbaijan which was aimed to perpetuate the name of Nationwide Leader of Azerbaijan and so, the plant became name after Heydar Aliyev.

Specific

The territory of P.O. is divided into four zone. On the first zone, situated near the main highway (Salyan highway), there are engineer and administrative buildings, central plant lab-oratory, dining hall and education centre.

Second zone is the zone of main production corps, pipe assemblies, colouring corps, auxiliary shops corps, desk-assembling corps.

Third zone is situated along the beach. It is assembling and mounting fields, equipped with stocks.

Fourth zone is the zone of stock houses and energy supply objects (boiler room, com-pressor-room, oxygen-room, and carbonic acid receiving installation.

The technological process, developed by French firm "ETPM", has been put into the basis of pro-duction of support parts of offshore deepwa-ter fixed platforms. Production, erection of metalwork's are carried out under the controlled technological process in accordance with technological instructions and work production project, on the basis of technical manuals of "ETPM".

Shops has been complected by gas weld-ing equipment of "SAF" and "ESAB" firms, pow-erfull roller sheet cleaning machines of Swiss firm "Hawsper", french gas cutting of pipes of "Eyler" type with stored-programme control. Sharp zoning of territory permitted com-fortable situation of the main highways and passages taking into account siting of engi-neering services and Organization of public amenities. Area square is 200 ga, site area 106,6 ga, area of open technologic erection sites is 85,5 ga. Offshore area near 80 ga.

D.P.P. production consists from main building, preparing workshop, workshop on pipes' manufacturing, workshop on preparing of elements of pipes' knots, painting workshop, repairing-mechanical workshop, workshop on manufacturing of strobes, workshop on preparation of decks and welding workshop. Engineering and erection departments have 4 stocks for fixed platform components. Specificity of P.O. "ShPS" consists in that fact, that it is not intended for production of the definite kind of products. Each of newly constructed on the plant offshore deepwater fixed platforms has its own structural features and distinctions, which are determined by the purpose of the installation, its quantity, depth and geological conditions of well sinking. Productions of P.O. are universal and are possible to produce only constructions of sup-porting blocks and their decks for water depth to 200m. Enterprises of the P.O. have at their disposal the main technological equipment - preparation of plates for productions, gas cut-ter stands and trucks, sheet-bending rollers, stands of automatic electric welding of pipes, electric welding machines, etc. Besides, the production of high quality welding electrodes is provided.

When the project was being projected, there was considered the matter for installation of support blocks aimed for large deep. So, plant was received reserve territory, but later the matter on known reasons did not find its solving. However, this matter was included at TES of plant free of financing. At that time, nobody could imagine to himself that block would be represented the block at the depth of water in 300 meters.

Successes

From the beginning of activity on stocks P.O. (4 stocks with the length 420 m), destined for mounting and running of supporting blocks of offshore fixed platforms, manufactured and runned tens supporting blocks, some of them are erected at "Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli" (ACG) fields.

Particularly, there are began at D.P.P. to preparation of four upper constructions of platform and six of support blocks for them aimed to ACG fields. Main AIOC subcontractor is an American McDermott Caspian Contractors Inc. preparing the upper constructions of platform at D.P.P. The building of support blocks at the plant is fulfilled founded between D.P.P. and "Star Gulf Fzso" - "Bosshelf".

There have already been prepared at D.P.P. three support blocks for "Azeri" field (2 for Central Azeri and 1 for West). Presently, the construction of support block for East Azeri (block is ready to 70%) is being completed and there was being begun the assembling of two support blocks for "Gunashli" field.

Besides, there were completed the operation on upper construction of platform at Central and Western Azeri (latter will be sent during the third decade of September). The upper constructions for Eastern Azeri are in the process of preparation and the building of upper constructions of support blocks for "Gunashli" were begun.

Beginning from Phase-2 project of large-scale ACG fields' development the plant began to prepare the poling. At the same time, there are fulfilled SOCAR's orders. For 5WFP No.1887 of oilfields Neft Dashlary manufactured supporting blocks for mounting of platform for deep sea 60 m. for drilling 36 wells. At present, there is implemented SOCAR's order for 5WFP No.2387 of oilfields Neft Dashlary manufactured supporting blocks for mounting of platform for deep sea 24 m. for drilling 12 wells.

Reconstruction

According to other Decree of state's chief, there is planned the plant's reconstruction. Now, there is being conducted TES of D.P.P. reconstruction aimed to long-term perspective that there will be submitted to SOCAR for consideration in the nearest time. Within the frame of TES are studied the opportunities of module's preparation at plant and the plant was not projected for preparation of stated module. They were built and packed at Astrakhan plants. Module's preparation is not a difficult construction but its structure is serious.

Concerning the upper platform's construction then plant had already had the experience in assembling and studding. There had already been prepared some modules in cut version for our platforms.

Specialists should still conduct great survey of existed hydro-technical constructions after which there will be decided either about reconstruction or full mooring's change. Furthermore, plant should receive from firms producers the competent conclusion regarding main technological equipment, is it possible to upgrade the equipment or it will be more expensive than buying of new. If upgrading is possible then organizations should take the upgrading to themselves, define its cost and provide with warranty for 15-20 years and last that after upgrading stated equipment will meet to all international standards. Besides, there is 27 DEMAG cranes with big tonnage at plant and which have been operated since 1982. But company-produce should inform about possibility of stated equipment upgrading or it will be more expensive than buying of new. After all specialists' decisions and project organizations will possible to define total cost of D.P.P. upgrading maybe with achieving its quality up to the level of international standards. n