The Ayazli gas field is located in the Black Sea, offshore Turkey. It was discovered in 2004 and produces through two wells. Turkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortakligi is the operator of the field and holds its majority stake (51%).
Stratic Energy acquired a 12.25% stake in January 2005. The company held the stake until it sold its entire Turkish businesses to a group of Turkish companies in May 2010. The stake was sold as part of the Stratic Energy’s restructuring plan to regain financial strength, following the international economic crisis.
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Toreador Turkey, which was acquired by Tiway Oil in October 2009, owns the remaining 36.75% stake.
Ayazli field development
In 2004, the development of the Ayazli gas field started as part of the South Akcakoca Sub Basin Development project in Turkey. The field came onstream in the first phase of the Sub Basin development project.
Two more fields, Akkaya and East Ayazli, were developed as part of the South Akcakoca Sub Basin Development project. Ayazli was the last to be developed among the three.
Ayazli exploration
The exploration of the Ayazli field started with the drilling of its first well Ayazli-1. The exploratory well is located in an Eocene-age Kusuri sandstone formation in the South Akcakoca Sub Basin, approximately five miles offshore. The well was spudded in July 2004.
Ayazli-1 discovered the presence of gas at a depth of 2,122-3,171ft. Initial tests on the well recorded a flow rate of 15mcf of gas per day. The average flowing wellhead pressure was kept at 824lb per square inch.
Another exploration well is being drilled at the Bati Ayazli prospect located near the Ayazli field. The well was spudded in 2009 and is expected to be tied back to the Ayazli platform if it finds gas within the targeted depth.
Drilling at Ayazli
Three wells were drilled at Ayazli. The first well was the Ayazli-1 exploratory well, which was drilled using the jack-up rig Prometeu to a total depth of 6,600ft. The water depth was approximately 250ft. Toreador was the operator of the well. Stratic Energy funded 25% of the drilling costs, with the remaining 75% costs covered by Toreador.
Following the discovery by the well, two more wells, Ayazli-2A and Ayazli-3A, were drilled. These were damaged in a marine accident in October 2005 due to a vessel owned by Micoperi Srl. The damaged wells were suspended and re-drilled.
Prometeu drilling rig
Romania-based offshore drilling, engineering and technical consultancy Grup Servicii Petroliere owns the Prometeu jack-up drilling rig.
The rig was built in 1984 and underwent a major upgrade in 2003. Under the Malta flag, it can drill to a maximum depth of 20,000ft.
Ayazli platform
In 2007, the Ayazli platform was fabricated, assembled and started operations in March 2008, as Ayazli-2A and Ayazli-3A started production.
The two production wells were connected to the pipeline. The gas produced from the platform is transported to the Cayagzi Natural Gas Process Facility. A tripod was installed at Ayazli in 2007. The deck was completed in September 2007 and was lifted onto the tripod by a barge.
Ayazli-2A and Ayazli-3A were tied back to the platform and production commenced in 2008.
Ayazli production
The Ayazli field was expected to produce ten to 15 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, based on the initial flow rates. However, production fell below expectation.
In 2009, the field’s daily average gas production was 7.3mscf. Production was declining during the year.
Pipeline
The gas produced from the Ayazli field was carried by a pipeline laid near the field in the fourth quarter of 2006.
The pipeline runs from Ayazli to the shore, through East Ayazli, and has a tie-in line from Akkaya.
With a capacity of 75mcf of gas per day, the pipeline also carries gas from the Dogu Ayazli and Akkaya fields, which are located near the main Ayazli field.
