ExxonMobil affiliate begins production in West Africa's largest deepwater development
Posted: 11 August 2004
Exxon Mobil Corporation subsidiary, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited, has started production of the $3.4 billion Kizomba A project, the largest deepwater development offshore West Africa. Estimated recoverable resources from the project total approximately 1 billion barrels of oil (gross), with an expected production rate of 250,000 barrels a day.
"Kizomba A employs the world's largest FPSO (Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading system), and the start-up of this project is an important milestone in Angola," said Harry J. Longwell, director and executive vice president, Exxon Mobil Corporation. "As planned, ExxonMobil's projects are employing leading-edge deepwater technology to develop significant new oil production capacity in West Africa. These projects demonstrate our commitment to the long-term development of Angola's hydrocarbon and human resources," Longwell added.
Kizomba A is the first of three world-class production developments on Block 15 that are intended to collectively develop over 2.5 billion barrels of oil at a total investment of around $10 billion. Located 230 miles (370 kilometers) northwest of Luanda, Kizomba A will develop the Hungo and Chocalho discoveries in water depths of 3,300-4,200 feet (1,000-1,280 meters). It includes a surface wellhead platform and subsea wells tied back to the FPSO. The FPSO has a storage capacity of 2.2 million barrels.
In February 2003, Esso and Sonangol announced the beginning of construction of the Kizomba B project, which will develop the Kissanje and Dikanza discoveries. Kizomba A and B incorporate a unique "design one build two" approach that captures substantial synergies. First oil from Kizomba B is scheduled for 2006. Planning and design are also underway for the Kizomba C project.
In November 2003, ExxonMobil announced first oil production on Block 15 from the Xikomba project, which utilizes an Early Production System (EPS) to produce 90,000 barrels per day. Xikomba is one of three identical EPS systems now deployed by ExxonMobil affiliates in West Africa.
ExxonMobil and its co-venturers have announced 38 discoveries in Angola, seventeen of which are on Block 15, a world-class development with the potential to recover about 4.5 billion oil-equivalent barrels (gross). ExxonMobil holds interests in five offshore deepwater blocks covering more than 4.5 million gross acres with a resource base now estimated at more than 11.5 billion oil-equivalent barrels (gross).
ExxonMobil has a leading position in nearly all the major exploration and production areas in the world. The company is also a leading holder of deepwater acreage in the world's most attractive regions, including West Africa where it has interests in 16 blocks totaling almost 11 million gross acres. In 2003, ExxonMobil completed 17 deepwater exploration wells in West Africa that added 480 million oil-equivalent barrels (net) to the resource base.
In addition to Esso (operator, 40 percent), other participants in Block 15 are BP Exploration ( Angola) Limited (26.67 percent), ENI Angola Exploration B.V. (20 percent) and Statoil Angola (13.33 percent). Sonangol is the Concessionaire.
Fore more information see www.exxonmobil.com
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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