Marathon Petroleum Gabon LDC has begun producing 6,000 b/d of oil from the Tchatamba West field, in 165 ft of water 15 miles off Gabon. It estimates Tchatamba West contains 7 million bbl of oil.
A single well will enable Marathon to maintain area production at 40,000 b/d.
Production from an automated submersible pump flows through a 5-mile, 6-in. pipeline to the mobile offshore production unit at Tchatamba Marin for processing. The oil is commingled with production from Tchatamba Marin and Tchatamba South and piped to a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel on Tchatamba Marin field.
Marathon operates the concession with 56.25% interest; Energy Africa Gabon SA holds 25% interest; and Santa Fe Snyder Corp. subsidiary Santa Fe Energy Resources of Gabon Ltd., 18.75%. Gabon holds the right to back into any development at first production, and has delegated that right to Energy Africa Gabon.
Tchatamba Marin came on stream in 1998; Marathon estimates reserves at 28 million bbl of oil. Tchatamba South came on stream in 1999; Marathon estimates reserves at 61 million bbl of oil.
