BP's Technical Hiccup at Shah Deniz Causes Gas Supply Disruptions

BP is addressing technical issues at Shah Deniz Alfa platform, affecting gas supplies to Bulgaria and Serbia. Operations were stopped due to a subsea gas condensate line issue, impacting Azerbaijan's supplies. Bulgaria sourced temporary gas from Turkey, and Serbia was assured by Azerbaijan of continuous gas flow.

BP is grappling with technical challenges at its Shah Deniz Alfa (SDA) platform, impacting Azerbaijan's gas exports to Bulgaria. The company confirmed its efforts to swiftly bring operations back to normal following last week's suspension.

The issue was discovered on the subsea gas condensate export line connecting the platform to the Sangachal terminal, prompting a halt in operations. Azerbaijan subsequently informed Bulgarian energy firm Bulgargaz EAD of the temporary supply stoppage, beginning January 7.

In response, Bulgargaz has secured alternative gas supplies from Turkey's Botas, anticipating a return to routine deliveries by January 15. Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received assurance from Baku that gas shipments to Serbia would not suffer further interruptions.

(With inputs from agencies.)