BP has awarded Emerson a multi-million-dollar contract to provide automation systems for the Shah Deniz Compression project, the next stage of gas field development off the coast of Azerbaijan. The award extends a collaboration in which Emerson has already worked as the main automation contractor on the Azeri Central East and Shah Deniz Stage 2 developments.
The compression platform
The $2.9 billion Shah Deniz Compression project centers on an electrically powered, normally unattended offshore production platform, the next stage in developing the Shah Deniz gas field in the Caspian Sea. The platform is designed to reach low-pressure gas reserves and lift overall recovery from the field. It will carry four 11MW compressors and act as the central compression point for gas piped in from the Shah Deniz Alpha and Bravo platforms. The facility will run remotely from BP's onshore Sangachal terminal, 55 km south of Baku.
Automation package
Emerson's package for the new platform pairs its DeltaV Distributed Control System with its DeltaV Safety Instrumented System. Together the two systems handle process control, safety shutdown, fire and gas detection, and power management. Emerson says the setup gives real-time visibility and remote control of platform operations, and is meant to cut operating costs while improving efficiency, safety and platform availability. A distributed control system is the software that lets operators run and monitor plant equipment from a single location; a safety instrumented system is a separate layer that detects a hazard and shuts equipment down automatically. Emerson's scope also includes cloud engineering services and digital twin technology, which the company uses for virtual testing, system integration and operator training in one connected workflow.
Track record
Emerson has held the automation contractor role on Shah Deniz for more than a decade, according to Ram Krishnan, the company's chief operating officer. Krishnan said the collaboration with BP continues as Emerson deploys systems to enable remote operations and expand Shah Deniz production, and that its execution model "delivers well beyond the initial build."
Output and timeline
BP expects the compression project to enable about 50 billion cubic meters of additional gas and around 25 million barrels of condensate in production and export. Construction is scheduled to finish in 2029. First gas compression is due from the Shah Deniz Alpha platform in 2029, with Shah Deniz Bravo following in 2030.
