According to BP’s head in the central Asian country, David Woodward, “Our analysis showed that the situation was unique. Extremely high underground pressure, an abnormally high level of salt in the water and an unexpected chemical reaction with the drilling solution [caused] a shift in the ground and the subsequent loss of the wells .”
“The group [will] install new equipment and resume drilling on the field this summer [using] a new drilling solution to guarantee successful drilling,” added Woodward who also stated the group’s long-term production plans have been affected by the setback.
Development at ACG is expected to cost US$12 billion overall. The consortium includes the liked of ExxonMobil, Unocal, Statoil, Inpex, Itochu and TPAO.
