Judy Clark
Senior Associate Editor
HOUSTON, Feb. 8 -- Angola's state-owned oil company Sociedade Nacional de Combustiveis de Angola (Sonangol EP) and Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Ltd. have reported the arrival of the Kizomba B tension leg platform (TLP) at Luanda.
The TLP is part of the $3.4 billion Kizomba B development on Block 15 about 350 km northwest of Luanda. It will be tied to a floating production, storage, and offloading system with storage capacity of 2.2 million bbl and serve as the center of operations for subsea wells in Kissanje and Dikanza oil fields. It is estimated that the Kizomba B fields, lying in 1,000 m of water, contain 1 billion bbl of oil.
The platform will be towed to the site by early March. Drilling is to start by the end of April. The platform weighs 30,000 tonnes, is 133 m high, and will accommodate 100 persons.
Kizomba B production is expected start in the second half of 2005 and rise to a peak of 250,000 b/d.
World-class block
Esso and its partners have announced 17 discoveries on Block 15, which has an estimated 4.5 billion boe (gross) of reserves. Hungo, Marimba, and Dikanza were discovered in 1998; Chocalho and Xikomba in 1999; Mondo, Saxi, and Batuque in 2000; Mbulumbumba, Vicango, and Mavacola in 2001; Reco Reco in 2002; Clochas, Kakocha, and Tchihumba in 2003; and Bavuca in 2004 (OGJ, Online, Mar. 2, 2004).
Block 15 production started with the Xikomba development in November 2003. The $3.4 billion Kizomba A project, which is developing Hungo and Chocalho fields, began production Aug. 7, 2004 (OGJ Online, Aug. 11, 2004). Current oil production from Block 15 is 300,000 b/d.
Planning and design for the Kizomba C project also are under way. Collectively the three Kizomba projects will be developed at a total cost of $10 billion.
Esso, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil Corp., has a 40% stake in Block 15. Other stakeholders are BP Exploration (Angola) Ltd. 26.67%, Agip Angola Exploration BV 20%, and concessionaire Sonangol 13.33%.
