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JAOC HOLDS EIA PUBLIC HEARINGS IN NEFTCHALA

By Anar Jabrayilli Azernews Staff Wrter

The JAOC (Japan Azerbaijan Operating Company) held public hearings in Neftchala Friday on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the drilling operations the company intends to undertake on Atashgah, Yanan-Tava and Mugan-Daniz prospective structures located 100 km south of Baku and 10km east of the Kura river mouth.

Participating in the hearings were representatives of various government agencies, NGOs and the public.

The JAOC ecological department manager Elshan Gurbanov said 3D seismic survey had been carried out on the prospects covering an area of 510 square kilometers.

According to him, the EIA project takes into account the considerable impact of the drilling operations on fishing in the Azeri sector of the Caspian Sea.

"The document considers the impact of oil-spills on fishing and on the Gizilagaj wild-life refuge. A special group will be monitoring drilling operations to prevent potential oil-spills", he said.

Mr. Gurbanov said the EIA had already been forwarded to the Ministry for natural resources and ecology.

Exploration drilling on Yanan-Tava to commence in October

JAOC is going to embark on exploration drilling on Yanan-Tava, Atashgah and Mugan-Daniz prospects this October, according to the executive of the company's operational department Khiro Kovai. He said JAOC intends to drill 2 exploratory wells on the prospects, the first of which in October on Yanan-Tava. It will be drilled in 14 meters of water to the depth of 4,875 meters, but the depth may be extended for more productive reservoirs. The drilling will be carried out off the "Gurtulush" jack-up and take 105 days to complete. Interpretation of the results obtained will take additional 20 days.

Mr. Kovai added that drilling of the second well on Atashgah is scheduled for early next year. It will be 4,586-meter deep and, just like the first well, it will take 105 days to drill off "Gurtulush" rig. According to him, hydrocarbons in Mugan-Daniz are not considerable enough to justify drilling of an exploratory well there.

The contract is owned by SOCAR 50%, JAPEX 22.5%, INPEX 12.5%, Itochu 7.5%, and Teicocu 7.5%.

Japanese follow Azeri research

The exploration of Yanan-Tava, Atashgah and Mugan-Daniz prospects was launched by Azeri oil-workers in 1950s, when the first 23 1,000-meter deep wells were drilled. The relatively shallow water depths (from 2 to 1000 meters) enabled further exploration, while in the 70s drilling operations resumed, with 2 wells drilled on Atashgah and 3 on Yanan-Tava. According to Japanese specialists, none of the wells had reached the hydrocarbon-rich suite, therefore, the work was suspended.

Nevertheless, JAOC experts predict the presence of commercially viable hydrocarbon resources in the prospects.

Funding social projects

JAOC has provided a newspaper in Neftchala with state-of-the-art office equipment, including computer, fax machine, printer, etc., head of the local executive committee Abulfaz Agayev told Azernews Monday. Besides, the company has set up a computer center in a local school.

JAOC executives told a local public meeting that the company would continue working in this area. If hydrocarbon reserves are discovered in Yanan Tava and Atashgah prospects, the company intends to augment assistance to health, education and other spheres. Besides, JAOC will open a regional office in Neftchala, which is expected to employ some of the local residents.

CASPIAN EXPEDITION TO START NET WEEK

Caspian Ecological Program (CEP) and the thematic center for managing fishing and other commercially important bio-resources, established within CEP in Astrakhan, are going to start a Caspian Expedition (ACE). A team of specialists from coastal countries will start for central and southern parts of the Caspian shortly on board a specialized vessel "Researcher of the Caspian" (Russia). The shallow northern portion of the Caspian and the Azerbaijan sector will be studied using other vessels, according to the CEP.

The expedition aims to evaluate fishing reserves. A modern hydro-acoustic shooting using Norwegian equipment will be used for the first time along with a conventional research technology.

Also, the expedition intends to identify the number of migrant fish, assess the amount and bio-mass of the feeding base of fish, determine nutrition peculiarities of main fish and the spread of fish in the entire aquarium.

Based on the materials obtained through the expedition, recommendations will be developed for decision-making on managing and rationally utilizing the commercially important resources of the Caspian.

The budget of the expedition is around $100,000 excluding the cost of the equipment. The duration is 45 days.