Hungary's MOL Group and SOCAR have signed key terms for an exploration, development, and production sharing agreement for a new onshore area covering the Shamakhi-Gobustan regions of Azerbaijan.
The agreement was signed during the Baku Energy Week.
"The Shamakhi-Gobustan joint exploration project will not just be a great addition to our international production portfolio but it will be an important puzzle to securing Central-Europe’s energy supply. We will have the flexibility to decide to sell or to ship the oil produced to MOL Group’s core region to contribute to the security of energy supply” – said Zsolt Hernádi, Chairman and CEO of the MOL Group in the company's statement.
He added that the new agreement builds on the momentum of the earlier cooperation and reflects the parties’ shared commitment to expand their collaboration in Azerbaijan’s upstream sector.
MOL will be the operator and hold a 65% stake in the project, while SOCAR will own the remaining 35%, the company said.
The finalization of a fully termed exploration, development, and production sharing agreement remains subject to further negotiations and regulatory approvals.
MOL Group entered the Azerbaijani market in 2020 by acquiring a 9.57% stake in the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field—one of the world’s largest oil fields—as well as an effective 8.9% stake in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which transports crude oil to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. As of 2024, these assets represent 14% of MOL’s total production and 25% of its total reserves.
The BTC pipeline plays a key role in supplying oil to MOL Group’s refineries in Central and Eastern Europe. To date, 15 million barrels of crude oil have been transported from the ACG field through the BTC pipeline and shipped to MOL Group’s refineries, including Slovnaft in Bratislava and INA’s Rijeka Refinery.
Read next
17:54
bp, SOCAR and TPAO today signed several agreements enabling TPAO to join the production sharing agreement (PSA) for the Shafag-Asiman offshore block in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea.
14:15
Baku Energy Week 2025
Baku Energy Week 2025 has spotlighted Azerbaijan’s rising energy role, as it secures landmark oil, gas, and renewable energy deals with global partners, reinforcing its commitment to diversification and security.
17:10
Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR and Canada’s Gran Tierra Energy Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to conduct joint research focused on the technical and economic assessment of a project to explore, develop, and produce hydrocarbon resources in the Guba-Caspian region.
19:18
Azerbaijan's SOCAR, Kazakhstan's KazMunayGas, Uzbekistan's Uzbekneftegaz, and Russia's Tatneft have signed a landmark agreement to cooperate on decarbonization and sustainable development initiatives.
16:15
SOCAR Energy Switzerland, a subsidiary of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR), has commissioned Switzerland’s first fast-charging station for electric trucks.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment