The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) is a Winner of the 2016/2017 Global Sustainable Development Award and Accredited as a Global 500 Sustainable Development Agencies of the year 2016/2017 in appreciation of its contribution towards social-economic development of the world and its contribution towards attainment of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Recognised for production and distribution of High Oil in Caspian Region,Environmental protection,Productive Corporate Social Responsibility and respect for the Rights of Workers. Awarded and Accredited by Public Opinions International (Uganda-East Africa) AND Organisation for International Friends of Africa (OIFA).
Public Opinions International is a Partner and Member of International Organisation for Educational Development (IOED)andInternational Police Commission which is is duly registered as an international Non-Profit, Non-Secretarial, Peacekeeping and Social Development Paramilitary Organization based in the State of California, United States of America with extension commands in member nations of the U.N.The International Police Commission has also been given the Consultative Status from the UN ECOSOC and it is also a Member of the United Nations Office of the Drugs and Crimes “UNODC.
The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) is involved in exploring oil and gas fields, producing, processing, and transporting oil, gas, and gas condensate, marketing petroleum and petrochemical products in domestic and international markets, and supplying natural gas to industry and the public in Azerbaijan. Three production divisions, one oil refineries and one gas processing plant, a deep water platform fabrication yard, two trusts, one institution, and 23 subdivisions are operating as corporate entities under SOCAR.
Joint ventures (including ventures in Georgia and Turkey), consortia, and operating companies established with SOCAR’s participation, are doing business in different parts of the petroleum industry. SOCAR has representative offices in Georgia, Turkey, Romania, Austria, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Great Britain, Iran, Germany and Ukraine and trading companies in Switzerland, Singapore, Vietnam, Nigeria, and other countries.
The company produces oil and natural gas from onshore and offshore fields in the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea. It operates the country’s two oil refineries, one gas processing plant and runs several oil and gas export pipelines throughout the country. It owns fuel filling stations under the SOCAR brand in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Romania and Switzerland. The company has about 61,000 employees.
Azneft, a business that integrated the Azerbaijani oil industry was created after the Bolshevik Revolution through the nationalization of the Azerbaijani oil industry.
It was subordinate to different organizations in the former Soviet Union and the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, depending on its organizations’ characteristics at different times and was known as Azerneftkomite, Azerneftkombinat (later divided into the Azerneft, Azerneftzavodlar and Azerneftmashingayirma syndicates), and Azerneftchikharma syndicates, and so forth.
In 1954-1959, the Ministry of the Oil Industry of the Azerbaijan SSR and in 1965-1970, the Ministry of Oil Production Industry of the Azerbaijan SSR were established on the basis of Azerneft. In August 1970, it was renamed back to Azerneft.
As the Republic of Azerbaijan gained independence, Azerineft State Concern was established on December 3, 1991. The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) was created on 13 September 1992 by the merger of Azerbaijan’s two state oil companies, Azerineft State Concern and Azerneftkimiya Production Association according to the decree of then president Abulfaz Elchibey.
In 1994, the Onshore and Offshore Oil and Gas Production Association were established as part of the State Oil Company. In 2003, the Onshore and Offshore Oil and Gas Production Association were merged to form the Azneft Production Union
SOCAR’s activities are exploration, preparation, exploitation of onshore and offshore oil and gas fields in the Azerbaijan Republic, transportation, processing, refining and sale of oil, gas, condensate and other related products.
SOCAR’s exploration activities cover the prospective offshore fields in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. The current largest fields being explored are Shafag-Asiman and Absheron natural gas fields which are being explored together with BP and Total respectively.
In December 2014, SOCAR signed SWAP PSA on the joint exploration and development of potential prospects in the shallow water area around the Absheron peninsula together with BP. Besides, SOCAR holds exploration activities in Umid and Bulla Deniz gas fields on its own.
Azerbaijan has 57 oil fields, 18 of which are offshore, in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. The essential part of the company’s revenue comes from the giant ACG oil field complex and Shah Deniz gas field. In September 1994, SOCAR entered into a Production sharing agreement (PSA) with the foreign oil companies led by BP for the 30-year development of the ACG oil field which was later known as the Contract of the Century.
Two years later Shah Deniz PSA was signed. As of 2014 SOCAR holds 11.6% of the ACG shares and 16.7% of the Shah Deniz shares.
Moreover, SOCAR operates a number of onshore fields on its own which is the main source of the domestic supply. In 2013, 43.48 million tons (318.74 mmbbl) of oil was produced in Azerbaijan, of which 8.31 million tons (60.95 mmbbl) belong to SOCAR. In the same period, Azerbaijan’s natural gas production reached record high of 29.46 bcm of which SOCAR shares constitute 7.14 bcm of it
SOCAR has two oil refineries and one gas processing plant. Azerneftyagh Oil Refinery specializes in the production of fuels and oils, producing gasoline, kerosene and diesel distillates, various oils (industrial, motor, transformer etc.) and asphalt. All fuel distillates produced there are sent to Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery for redistillation.
The refinery processes 21 out of 24 grades of the Azerbaijani crude. It meets the country’s entire demand for petroleum products and 45% of its petroleum products are exported. The Gas Processing Plant produces processed gas, liquefied gas and natural gasoline. In 2010, the plant produced 4 bcm of processed gas, 24,800 tons of liquefied gas and 26,700 tons of natural gasoline.
SOCAR fuel filling station on Babek Avenue, Baku, Azerbaijan
The first fuel station of the company under the brand name SOCAR was opened in neighboring Georgia in 2008, before any in its home country. The fuel stations in Georgia are operated by the subsidiary of the company SOCAR Georgia Petroleum. As of 2014 there were currently more than 110 filling stations in Georgia making it the largest retail fuel station network of SOCAR.
In Azerbaijan, the company operates a few (less than any other country where it operates) filling stations under the brand name SOCAR since 2010. It is the third largest network of retail stations in Azerbaijan after Azpetrol and Lukoil. In 2011, the first retail station of SOCAR was opened in Ukraine. In October 2014 the number of the SOCAR stations in Ukraine reached 40.
In 2011, the company entered into the Romanian market acquiring initially 90% and at a later stage the rest 10% of the stake in Romtranspetrol.
In September 2014, SOCAR launched its 30th filling station in Romania.
In November 2011, SOCAR bought ExxonMobil‘s Swiss subsidiary Esso Schweiz for an undisclosed amount. Along with the acquisition SOCAR became the owner of a network of more than 160 filling stations operating under the brand name Esso across the country.
The first SOCAR premium fueling station in Switzerland after the rebranding was opened in September 2012 in Zurich. All the operations in Switzerland are managed and led by SOCAR Energy Switzerland
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