View source for Bahar oilfield

{{Infobox oil field
| name        = Bahar oil field
| image       = 
| caption     = 
| location_map       = 
| location_map_width = 
| location_map_text  = 
| lat_d     = 
| lat_m     = 
| lat_s     = 
| lat_NS    = 
| long_d    = 
| long_m    = 
| long_s    = 
| long_EW   = 
| coordinates_type   = type:landmark
| coordinates_display= inline,title
| coordinates_ref    = 
| country     = [[Azerbaijan]]
| region      =
| location    = 
| block       = 
| offonshore  = Offshore
| operator    = [[SOCAR]]
| partners    = SOCAR, Bahar Energy Ltd
| contractors = 
| discovery   = 1968
| start_development = 1969
| start_production = 
| peak_year   =
| abandonment =
| peak_of_production_oil_bbl/d =
| peak_of_production_oil_tpy =
| peak_of_production_gas_mmcuft/d =
| peak_of_production_gas_mmscm/d =
| peak_of_production_gas_bcm/y =
| oil_production_bbl/d = 
| oil_production_tpy =
| production_year_oil = 
| production_gas_mmcuft/d =
| production_gas_mmscm/d =
| production_gas_bcm/y =
| production_year_gas =
| est_oil_bbl =
| est_oil_t   = 2.7
| recover_oil_bbl =
| recover_oil_t   =
| est_gas_bft = 18.4
| est_gas_bcm = 25
| recover_gas_bft =
| recover_gas_bcm =
| formations  =
}}
'''Bahar''' is an offshore [[oil and gas field]] in the [[Caspian Sea]], located {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}} southeast of [[Baku]], [[Azerbaijan]]. 
The field was discovered in 1968<ref name=Geo>
{{cite journal
 | url = http://pg.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/4/3/253
 | title = The Bahar oil and gas-condensate field in the South Caspian Basin
 |date=August 1998
 | volume = 4
 | pages =253–258
 | journal = GeoScienceWorld
 | accessdate = 2010-01-05 }}
</ref> and was first developed in 1969. Prior to 2010, it produced approximately 16.8 million tonnes of [[petroleum|oil]] and 128.7 billion cubic meters of [[natural gas|gas]].<ref name=Caspian>
{{cite news
 |url=http://caspenergy.com/index_en.shtml?id_node=68&id_file=7098&lang=en 
 |title=SOCAR signs contract with Bahar Energy Limited 
 |publisher=Caspian Energy 
 |author= 
 |date=2009-12-23 
 |accessdate=2010-01-05 
 |deadurl=yes 
 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708123020/http://caspenergy.com/index_en.shtml?id_node=68&id_file=7098&lang=en 
 |archivedate=2011-07-08 
 |df= 
}}
</ref> There had been up to 93 wells operating in the field during the peak of production; the number has since decreased to 16.<ref name=APA>
{{cite news
 |url= http://ru.apa.az/news_%D0%90%D0%B7%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B1%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%B4%D0%B6%D0%B0%D0%BD_%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BB%D1%8E%D1%87%D0%B8%D0%BB_%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B5_%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%84%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B5__149859.html
 |script-title=ru:Азербайджан заключил новое нефтегазовое соглашение 
 |trans_title= Azerbaijan signed a new oil and gas agreement
 |publisher= APA
 |author= Rashad Suleymanov
 |date= 2009-12-22
 |accessdate=2010-01-05|language= Russian
 }}
</ref>

==Production sharing agreement== 
On December 22, 2009, the [[State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic]] and the [[UAE|Emirati]] company ''Bahar Energy Ltd'' signed a [[production sharing agreement]] for exploration, rehabilitation and development of Bahar and [[Gum Deniz oilfield|Gum Deniz]] fields.<ref>
{{cite news
 |url= http://www.upi.com/Science_News/Resource-Wars/2009/12/23/SOCAR-gets-help-at-oil-and-gas-fields/UPI-94951261586400/
 |title= SOCAR gets help at oil and gas fields
 |publisher= United Press International
 |author= 
 |date= 2009-12-23
 |accessdate=2010-01-05}}
</ref> The agreement, which was reached by the President of SOCAR, [[Rovnag Abdullayev]] and General Director of Bahar Energy Ltd, Richard McDougall, is projected to last 25 years with the possibility of extension for five additional years. 
This was the 28th agreement SOCAR signed with a foreign investor on the basis of production sharing. Rovnag Abdullayev stated that SOCAR is planning to increase the overall gas production of [[Azerbaijan]] to 1 trillion cm.

According to the agreement, within the next 3 years, Bahar Energy Ltd will drill one exploration well. The first stage of the project includes drilling of 50 wells. In addition to that, all existing wells will be rehabilitated for production. It is estimated that the first stage of the project will bring nearly $2.5 billion of income to SOCAR. The second stage of the project consists of exploration of the ''Bahar-2'' structure within the Bahar field.<ref name=Rosinvest>
{{cite news
 |url= http://www.rosinvest.com/news/630532/
 |script-title=ru:Инвестиции в блок месторождений «Бахар» и «Гум-Дениз» составят $1 млрд
 |trans_title= Investment in "Bahar" and "Gumdeniz" bloacks will make up $1 bln
 |publisher= Rosinvest
 |author= 
 |date= 2009-12-22
 |accessdate=2010-01-05|language= Russian
 }}
</ref>

According to the agreement, SOCAR will receive a bonus of $2 million when the project program is confirmed, $1 million for every 100 million barrels produced, $5 million when commercial production starts, and $2 million after increasing production capacity to 1.5 times the 2008 production indicators, as planned.<ref name=APA/> In 2008, the field produced 54-55,000 tonnes of oil and 195 million cm of gas. Bahar Energy Ltd owns 80% of the stake while SOCAR owns 20%.<ref name=NG>
{{cite news
 |url= http://www.ng.ru/cis/2009-12-28/100_baku.html
 |script-title=ru:Баку расширяет географию экспорта
 |trans_title= Baku is expanding geography of export
 |publisher= [[Nezavisimaya Gazeta]]
 |author= Sokhbet Mamedov
 |date= 2009-12-28
 |accessdate=2010-01-05|language= Russian
 }}
</ref> Previous forecasts indicated that in five years, gas and condensate production in Bahar field would decrease by 15% and 10%, respectively which led to the idea of attracting foreign investment for stabilization of production.<ref name=Caspian/><ref>
{{cite news
 |url= http://en.trend.az/capital/pengineering/1605471.html
 |title= Azerbaijan signs new oil and gas contract
 |publisher= [[Trend News Agency]]
 |author= E. Ismayilov
 |date= 2009-12-22
 |accessdate=2010-01-05}}
</ref> It is expected that Bahar Energy Ltd will invest nearly $1 billion in the project.<ref name=Rosinvest/>

==Reservoir==
It is estimated that Bahar field holds 2.7 million tonnes of oil and between 18.4<ref>[http://www.old.caspenergy.com/no5rus1.html Caspian Energy. Old Offshore Oilfields of Azerbaijan and their rehabilitation]</ref> and 25 billion<ref name=APA/><ref>
{{cite news
 |url= http://www.arabianbusiness.com/576880-uae-baharazeri-socar-sign-deal-on-caspian-fields
 |title= UAE Bahar,Azeri Socar sign deal on Caspian fields
 |publisher= Arabian Business
 |author= Lada Yevgrashin
 |date= 2009-12-23
 |accessdate=2010-01-05}}
</ref> cubic meters of gas reserves. It contains oil and gas condensate in sandstone and sandy siltstone of the [[Pliocene]] Productive Series. The reservoir rocks have porosities of 13-18% and permeabilities of 45-250 mD. Biomarker geochemical analyses of onshore and offshroe fields indicate that the Pliocene oil and gas fields in South Caspian Basin had been mainly charged from epigenetic hydrocarbons.<ref name=Geo/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Azerbaijan|Energy}}
*[[Gum Deniz oilfield]]
*[[Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli]]
*[[Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline]]
*[[Sangachal Terminal]]
*[[Baku-Supsa pipeline]]
*[[Nabucco pipeline]]
*[[Baku-Novo Filya gas pipeline]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Energy in Azerbaijan}}

{{coord missing|Azerbaijan}}

[[Category:Oil fields of Azerbaijan]]
[[Category:Energy in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Caspian Sea]]