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Angola: ExxonMobil makes new discovery on Block 15

The Valaris DS-9 drillship is contracted by ExxonMobil in Angola from 2022 to 2024. Picture: Valaris.

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Angola’s National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) has announced a new discovery at the Bavuca Sul-1 well on Block 15. The block is operated by ExxonMobil (36%) in partnership with Azule Energy (42%), Equinor (12%) and Sonangol E&P (10%).

ExxonMobil is currently executing a redevelopment programme on the block, following a June 2019 agreement with the ANPG to boost production. The operator is expecting to increase output by 40,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) by executing a multi-year drilling program and install new infrastructure technology to increase capacity of the existing flowlines.

The Valaris DS-9 drillship was contracted for the drilling campaign, under a 2-year contract from June 2022 to June 2024. Phase one of drilling is targeting 17 wells while Phase 2 targets about 20 wells. Valaris had already announced the drilling of the exploration well at the end of September 2022, but without providing further details.  

“The well encountered 30 meters (98 feet) of high-quality sandstone containing hydrocarbons (…) at a water depth of 1,100 meters (3,608 feet),” the ANPG said today.

Bavuca Sul-1 marks the 18th discovery on Block 15, where the Kizomba A FPSO started producing in 2004 followed by the Kizomba B FPSO in 2005. No new discovery had been made on the block since that of Bavuca in 2003.

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Caverton adds second simulator to Africa’s leading aviation training center

The Caverton Offshore Support Group (COSG) Plc will install, operate, and maintain an AW109 FNPT II MCC simulator purchased by Global Aviation Training & Maintenance (GATML) at its aviation training center in Lagos. The new simulator is equipped with a spherical visual system, 4 axis electromagnetic vibration system and an Entrol Mission Package, which includes hoist control for SAR mission and an external mirror, among other equipment. It will be available at the Caverton Aviation Training Center (CATC) in Lagos, which already operates an EASA-certified Level D AW139 full flight simulator, Africa’s first level D helicopter simulator. With this second simulator, the Caverton Aviation Training Center (CATC) will improve its range of training devices while reducing operational costs and increasing the safety of its clients’ pilots. “We are excited to introduce this Entrol AW109 FNPT II to our growing number of training devices in Nigeria and West Africa as a whole. The advent of Covid 19 opened our eyes to the fact that there is a huge void in training establishments and particularly access to training simulators. The need for affordable and accessible training is long overdue in West Africa and we are delighted to work with Entrol in making this a reality,” said Mrs. Lolade Abiola, accountable manager at the Caverton Aviation Training Center (CATC).

Angola: 12-well extension contract for the Libongos drillship

Sonadrill, the joint-venture between Seadrill and Sonangol, has secured a 12-well extension in Angola for the Libongos drillship, Seadrill announced today. The firm portion of the contract is worth $327m with commencement expected in Q4 2022 with a firm-term of approximately 25 months. The Libongos drillship was already under a multi-year contract with Eni Angola, Hawilti’s Offshore Rigs Tracker shows. The unit is reported to have been part of the company’s drilling campaign on Block 15/06, where Eni has made seven discoveries over the past four years and is executing several subsea tie-back projects on the block. Eni Angola, which now forms part of Azule Energy with bp Angola, is also progressing the full field development of Agogo on Block 15/06. Tenders were issued in July 2021 for a project targeting a peak production of 120,000 bopd via the installation of a third FPSO unit on the block. The Libongos drillship is currently heading back to Block 15/06, data from Marine Traffic shows.