BP completes maintenance at major Azeri oil platform

(Baku Daily) - BP has completed month-long maintenance work at one of its main oil platforms in Azerbaijan, BP Azerbaijan said on Friday.

"Planned maintenance on the Central Azeri (platform) was completed on Nov. 27 as initially planned," spokeswoman Tamam Bayatly told Reuters. "The platform resumed operations at 22:00 (local time on Thursday)."

BP said a month ago that it would replace some worn-out equipment to ensure the safety and reliability of the facility.

Falling output at the main Azeri, Chirag and Guneshli (ACG) oil fields has long worried Baku.

BP and its partner, Azeri state energy firm SOCAR, tried to ease those concerns last year, saying production had stabilised. Total oil output grew in 2013 for the first time since 2011 to 43.15 million tonnes.

Earlier this year, however, BP said 2014 oil production at ACG might be slightly lower because of planned maintenance work at the Central Azeri and West Azeri platforms.

Oil output at ACG declined slightly to 655,700 barrels per day (bpd) in January-September 2014 from 663,200 bpd in the same period last year and 656,000 bpd in the first half of 2014, BP Azerbaijan said last week.

Azerbaijan's total crude oil and condensate production fell to 35.6 million tonnes in January-October this year from 36.1 million tonnes in the same period last year.