BP’s VP Wells AGT talks challenges on ACE first oil, technical milestones in the Caspian

Since opening its first office in Azerbaijan in 1992, BP has invested approximately $85 billion in the Caspian region. Major projects like Deepwater Gunashli, West Azeri, Chirag and West Chirag all exemplify the operator’s achievements here, on top of other technical milestones like Shah Deniz 2, Caspian’s first subsea development; the ACG platforms, the biggest structures in the Caspian; and the drilling of a 7,300-m well in Shah Deniz, the Caspian’s deepest exploration well.

In this video from the 2025 IADC Drilling Caspian Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 6 February, Russell Morrice, BP’s VP Wells AGT, talks about the challenges that BP overcame in order to achieve first oil from the $6 billion Azeri Central East (ACE) platform last year. Mr Morrice also talks about BP’s work to advance technology in the Caspian, as well as its efforts to fulfill social responsibilities.