Eni has let a subsea umbilicals, risers, and flowlines (SURF) contract to Saipem for the development of the Baleine Phase 2 project offshore Ivory Coast.
Work scope encompasses the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) of about 20 km of rigid lines, 10 km of flexible risers and jumpers, and 15 km of umbilicals connected to a dedicated floating unit. Installation works will be carried out by Saipem’s offshore construction vessels and will take place in 2024.
Initial production from Baleine field, in water depth of 1,200 m, began last month though the Baleine floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, a refurbished and upgraded unit capable of handling up to 15,000 b/d of oil and around 25 MMscfd of associated gas (OGJ Online, Aug. 28, 2023).
The start of Phase 2 production is expected by end-2024, also through a renovated FPSO. This second phase is expected to increase field production to 50,000 b/d of oil and about 70 MMscfd of associated gas. The third development phase aims to elevate field production up to 150,000 b/d of oil and 200 MMscfd of gas.
Saipem contributed to the drilling activities of Baleine Phase 1 by deploying the Saipem 10000 and Saipem 12000 vessels, followed up by the execution of two contracts for Baleine Phase 1 in fast-track mode.
