BP has sent the first topsides unit built for the Shah Deniz stage 2 platforms to its location in the Caspian Sea.
The official sail away ceremony was held in Baku, and was attended by Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev.
BP’s regional president for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey said: “The first platform topsides sail away is an important milestone and we are pleased to have achieved it ahead of schedule as we move towards successful completion of the giant Shah Deniz 2 project safely, below the planned budget and on schedule.
“The topsides unit, which is one of the biggest and state-of-the-art facilities in the Caspian, was delivered with exceptional safety results. This really is a great achievement and I am confident that the offshore installation of this unit, as well as the second topsides will be delivered with the same level of commitment to safety and quality”.
The topsides unit was jacked up on to the loading frame at the quayside of the fabrication yard on 8 May 2017 in preparation for transfer on to the transportation barge.
Transportation, float-over and installation activities are expected to take around 5 days to complete.
The unit will be installed on top of the quarters and utilities (QU) jacket which is already at its offshore location in a water depth of 94 metres.
The QU topsides unit weighs about 12,400 tonnes and is 100 metres long by 60 metres wide.It contains living quarters for 100 people, four main power generators and a range of subsea production equipment.
Over 5,000 people were involved in the construction works, which took place at the Azfen fabrication yard.
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