The Shah Deniz consortium has reached an important milestone and approved the decision to commence Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) on the estimated $25 billion Shah Deniz Stage 2 project.

This was officially announced in Baku today during the meeting between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan H.E. Ilham Aliyev and Bob Dudley, Group Chief Executive of BP, the Operator of Shah Deniz, who is on a working visit to Azerbaijan.

The Shah Deniz Stage 2 project will bring gas from the Caspian Sea to markets in Turkey and Europe, opening up the 'Southern Gas Corridor'. Achieving this important milestone allows the consortium to maintain its target for first gas exports around the end of 2017.

The Shah Deniz 2 project is set to produce 16 billion cubic metres of gas per year. The entry into FEED represents the start of a key phase in the project during which engineering studies will be refined, further wells will be drilled, commercial agreements will be finalised and key construction contracts will commence.

Tags: BP PLC