The diving vessel ‘Akademik Tofig Ismayilov’, owned by the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) under AZCON Holding, has begun operations as part of the ‘Shah Deniz’ project, Azernews reports.
A cooperation agreement was signed between ASCO and BP, the project’s operator, to formalise the vessel’s participation. Under this framework, ‘Akademik Tofig Ismayilov’ will serve as a duty ship and take part in remotely controlled inspection, maintenance, and repair operations of underwater infrastructure.
Before deployment, the vessel underwent repairs at the Bibiheybat Ship Repair Plant, successfully passed class inspections, and completed sea trials for the Dynamic Positioning (DP) system. Additionally, the helipad was certified.
To support these operations, ROV/MIOG (Remotely Operated Vehicle) platforms and generator platforms were installed according to marine classification standards. The work was carried out by the Ship Repair Department of ASCO’s Zygh Ship Repair and Construction Plant.