SOCAR and ExxonMobil Sign Cooperation Memorandum in the Presence of Aliyev and Whitcoff

During Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's visit to the U.S. on August 7, he met with U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Steven Whitcoff in Washington.

According to the official website of the head of Azerbaijan, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the American company ExxonMobil, in the presence of Aliyev and Whitcoff. The document was signed by Azerbaijan's Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov and ExxonMobil Vice President Jon Ardill.

During their discussion, Aliyev and Whitcoff exchanged views on the future of strategic cooperation between Azerbaijan and the U.S., the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the regional peace agenda.

ExxonMobil is a partner in several major energy projects in Azerbaijan, including the development of the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) fields and the operation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. Additionally, in June 2025, ExxonMobil signed a memorandum of understanding with SOCAR to explore, develop, and produce unconventional onshore oil fields. This involves searching for and developing shale oil deposits in the central and western regions of Azerbaijan.