live U.S. restricts staff use of Saudi airports after deadly Houthi attacks
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It com...
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.
The official signing of the agreements took place today on the sidelines of Baku Energy Week.
The deal is expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter of 2025. Once finalized, TPAO will own a total 30% participating interest in the PSA—15% transferred from bp and 15% from SOCAR. Currently, bp and SOCAR each hold a 50% participating interest in the PSA.
bp will remain the operator of the PSA during the exploration period.
“We are pleased to welcome TPAO into the Shafag-Asiman partnership. This strategic collaboration underscores the importance of regional partnerships in advancing the evaluation and potential development of Azerbaijan’s offshore resources. Together with bp and TPAO, we aim to accelerate the appraisal process, ultimately enhancing energy security and bringing added value to all stakeholders involved,” - stated Rovshan Najaf, president of SOCAR.
The block lies some 125 kilometres to the south-east of Baku and is located in water depths of 650-800 metres. The block is 60km from Shah Deniz and 145km from the Sangachal terminal.
The deal aims to accelerate further evaluation of the block to help identify the most suitable option to progress the project.
"To that end, additional evaluation activities will be carried out, including the drilling of a well into the Lower Surakhany reservoir. To allow for these activities, the exploration period under the PSA will be extended,"- said bp in its statement
Gary Jones, bp’s regional president for Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, said this collaboration would bring additional technical and financial capabilities to accelerate exploration and appraisal activities on this structure.
"By joining the Shafag-Asiman partnership alongside SOCAR and bp, Türkiye Petrolleri reaffirms its commitment to building a secure, diversified and sustainable energy future for our nations and beyond. This collaboration brings together SOCAR’s deep local expertise, bp’s advanced technology, and TPAO’s offshore experience. Together, we aim to unlock the full potential of this promising structure in the Caspian Sea," - stated Ahmet Türkoğlu, chairman and CEO of TPAO.
He added that this partnership will create high-value employment and reinforce the Southern Gas Corridor—contributing to regional stability, energy security, and long-term economic growth.
Exploration activities in the block carried out to date include the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of a 3D seismic survey and the drilling of one exploration well (SAX01), completed in 2021. The SAX01 well was drilled to the base of the Fasila reservoir, reaching a depth of 7,189 metres, and confirmed the presence of gas condensate resources in the penetrated reservoirs. The well was then suspended to allow for further evaluation and planning of subsequent activities.
The Saudi-led coalition said early Thursday that it intercepted and destroyed a drone over Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It comes after a deadly Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed at least 13 people last week.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Ukraine is set to restart attacks on Russian oil refineries following a two-day pause, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, amid growing tensions with Washington over energy strikes and U.S. military support.
U.S. President Donald Trump has lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports and announced a Russia-Ukraine energy ceasefire aimed at easing fuel prices ahead of November’s midterm elections. But can Moscow deliver and will the move will bring meaningful relief to markets?
Taiwan plans to buy 30 per cent of Alaska LNG's annual output and invest up to $4.4 billion in the project, but binding contracts and financing remain unresolved as the U.S. pushes to expand energy exports to Asia.
Asian stocks plunged to their lowest level in more than two months on Tuesday as advances by Chinese chipmakers rattled investor confidence in the artificial intelligence boom, despite soaring global semiconductor sales.
Artificial intelligence investment is helping sustain global growth at around 3 per cent, with Asia poised to reap major benefits. But soaring energy costs, unequal investment and growing pressure on young workers threaten to leave some economies behind.
Uzbekistan and Russia have a portfolio of more than 200 joint projects worth almost $6 billion, as the two countries continue to expand regional and business ties. The projects were discussed during the third meeting of the Council of Regions of Russia and Uzbekistan, held in Fergana, Uzbekistan.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment