When coronavirus began spreading across the world, the Oil and Gas industry suffered a major hit due to plummeting oil prices. Now, as we begin to enter a new normal, and look towards a post-COVID world, we’re casting a spotlight on one of the countries who are laying the groundwork for a big industry bounceback: Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan is one of the world’s oldest oil-producing countries, at one point producing half of the world’s oil supply at the beginning of the 20th century.However in more recent times, it has increasingly become a significant exporter of gas supplies.
Since the doors to our first office in Azerbaijan opened in 1996, Orion has been providing specialist manpower solutions to numerous companies in the region. And over the last 25 years, we have placed thousands of engineering and construction personnel into some of the biggest development projects in recent times.
Utilising our years of experience working with companies in the Oil and Gas industry, Orion has built up strong working relationships with companies operating in the area, including BP and Total.
New discoveries
One of our most recent clients in the country has been going from strength to strength. The Umid Babek Operating Company (UBOC) is an oil and gas company incorporated in Azerbaijan in 2017. UBOC engages in exploration, production and operation activities within the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, with the majority of their work involving active and prospective sites in the Umid and Babek offshore block.
The reserves of these fields have been found to be considerable - the Umid field is estimated to contain up to 200 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas and 30 million tons of condensate. Meanwhile, the reserves of the Babek structure are estimated to contain 400 bcm of gas and 80 million tons of condensate. The scale of these fields has been a major discovery for the region, and one that could prove lucrative for years to come.
The Umid-Babek project will significantly boost gas production as Azerbaijan sees increasing demand domestically, as well as internationally. To meet foreign demand, the recently-completed TANAP pipeline will allow the country to export these supplies to Europe.
Creating a partnership for the future
Given the size of the discovery, UBOC’s long-term plan involves exploration and development of the sites, with plans for two new platforms in the pipeline.
UBOC strives to safely and sustainably embrace the challenge of delivering energy by continuously seeking dedicated, talented and aspiring people - values that fit perfectly with Orion’s ethos of finding the right people for the right job. Utilising our worldwide expertise and local knowledge, we are supporting UBOC to recruit the workforce they need to bring in this new era of Oil and Gas production in Azerbaijan.
People are our business
Over the next few years, we will look to work closely with UBOC and their ambitions to revitalise Oil and Gas production in Azerbaijan. Vital to the success of this project will be the recruitment of many Oil and Gas professionals. If you’re interested in a career in Oil and Gas and think you would be up for the challenge, get in touch with us today by uploading your CV here.
