BP, operator of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) oil field, has announced that December 30 marks 20 years since the first oil was produced from the West Azeri platform, a key milestone in the development of the giant ACG field.

Seventeen people were injured, including four critically, when a fire erupted early Tuesday on Chevron's deep-water Benguela Belize Lobito Tomboco (BBLT) oil platform, according to statements from Angolan authorities and the U.S. oil giant.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the first oil production from the Central Azeri platform, the second oldest platform on the Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater Gunashli (ACG) field, following Chirag, News.Az reports, citing bp Azerbaijan.

bp expects the ramp-up of its state-of-the-art Azeri Central East oil facility in the Caspian Sea to take around two years, and may look at adding more facilities in the future, upstream senior vice president Gordon Birrell told S&P Global Commodity Insights, News.Az reports.