Total SA reported the final investment decision for deepwater Zinia 2 development on Angola Block 17 and said it has entered a risk-service agreement for exploration on Block 48.
Block 17 partners, with Total as operator, approved investment in Zinia 2, which will produce as much as 40,000 b/d of oil from subsea wells tied back to the Pazflor floating production, storage, and offloading vessel. Pazflor is one of four FPSOs on the block (OGJ Online, July 21, 2015).
Arnaud Breuillac, president of Total Exploration & Production, said development of other satellite fields like Zinia 2 is under consideration.
The $1.2-billion Zinia 2 investment will include the drilling and tie-back of nine wells in 600-1,200 m of water.
“The work carried out to simplify the design while capturing deflation allowed the partners to cut the development costs by more than half,” Breuillac said.
Total has a 40% interest in Block 17, where total production averaged 600,000 b/d last year. Partners are Equinor, 23.33%; ExxonMobil Corp., 20%; and BP PLC, 16.67%. State-owned Sonangol is the concessionaire.
Total and Sonangol will be 50-50 partners in Block 48 deepwater exploration under the new risk-service agreement. The first 2-year phase calls for drilling of a well.
Total also signed a framework agreement for a future joint venture with Sonangal on service-station development and a memorandum of understanding with the government to fund 50 scholarships for Angolans at French universities.