Vaalco restarts production off Gabon

Nov. 11, 2008
Vaalco Energy has successfully upgraded its FPSO vessel off Gabon and restored production from its oil fields sooner than expected.

Uchenna Izundu
International Editor

LONDON, Nov. 11 -- Vaalco Energy Inc., Houston, has successfully upgraded its floating production, storage, and offloading vessel off Gabon and restored production from its oil fields sooner than expected.

The vessel, the Petroleo Nautipa FPSO, which gathers oil from Etame and Avouma/Tchibala fields, was operating at full production within 3½ days, instead of the 5-7 days schedule originally quoted. It has a 1.1 million bbl of oil storage capacity and recent debottlenecking increased its processing capacity to 25,000 b/d.

The company installed an expanded flare system and increased the water processing capacity at the FPSO to accommodate production from its planned development well in Ebouri.

This area has the potential to produce 5,000 b/d of oil and its development well is expected to come onstream in January 2009. Vaalco plans to drill on Ebouri in mid-November using the Adriatic 6 jack up drilling rig. Once this starts production, Vaalco's total production will reach 25,000 b/d.

Last January, Avouma started production from two wells, which currently deliver 10,000 b/d.

On the Etame block off Gabon, Vaalco will drill three exploration wells back to back using the Pride Cabinda jack up drilling rig, Pride Cabinda. This area already produces 12,000 b/d.

Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].