Total Flags Angolan Kaombo Start-up
Total announced July 27 the start-up of production at Kaombo, currently the biggest deep offshore oil development in Angola - located on block 32, some 260km offshore Luanda.
Overall production will reach an estimated 230,000 barrels of oil per day at peak, it said, with the associated gas piped to the onshore Angola LNG plant for export.
Kaombo reached final investment decision (FID) in 2014. Prior to Total taking FID on its Zinia-2 project two months ago, Kaombo was the last deepwater Angolan project by any operator to reach FID. The country was the worst-affected in Africa by investment cutbacks that followed the oil price slide, but was also hampered by its own poor incentives to investors which it has recently taken steps to address.
Kaombo Norte, the first of two floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units has been successfully brought on stream and will produce an estimated 115,000 b/d. The second, Kaombo Sul, is expected to start up in 2019. A total of 59 wells will be connected to the two FPSOs, which together will develop the resources of six different fields (Gengibre, Gindungo, Caril, Canela, Mostarda and Louro) over an area of 800 km2 in the central and southern part of block 32, in total developing the estimated 650mn barrels of reserves.
Block 32 partners are Total as operator with a 30% interest, alongside Sonangol 30%, the 'Sonangol Sinopec International 32' joint venture (20%), ExxonMobil 15%, and Portugal's Galp 5%.
Total E&P president Arnaud Breuillac said the company was "proud to build on its deep offshore expertise to operate the latest major project coming on stream in Angola, which will account for 15% of the country’s oil production. Once more, this demonstrates the group’s long-term commitment to help develop the oil and gas industry in the country. We will continue doing so in the years to come, including by relaunching exploration in areas such as block 48.”