With crude oil production on the rise – increasing by more than 580,000 barrels month-on-month from December 2022 to January 2023 – Angola is aiming to stabilize its output around 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) in the next three years.
Accordingly, the southern African producer has several notable E&P projects that are in progress and awaiting Final Investment Decision (FID), which will serve to maximize its existing hydrocarbon resources, optimize existing facilities and subsea infrastructure and enable cost reductions.
Q&M Gas Project
In an effort to drive upstreamgas exploration and monetization, Angola’s New Gas Consortium (NGC) – comprising Chevron, Azule Energy, TotalEnergies and Sonangol – reached FID on the Quiluma and Maboqueiro (Q&M) gas project last August, together with the National Agency of Oil, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG).
The project consists of two offshore wellhead platforms, an onshore gas processing plant and a connection to the Angola LNG plant and has so far awarded EPC contracts to Saipem for the onshore plant and Quiluma platform; JV Gruppo Antonini/Proger/Kerry Logistics for the Maboqueiro platform; and Baker Huges for the supply of turbo compressors. First gas – planned for 2026 – will play a critical role in advancing Angola’s gas-focused agenda and its exploration and development of non-associated gas.
Agogo Oil Field Development
Azule Energy is undertaking expanded work on its ultra-deepwater Agogo Oil Field Development in Block 15/06, with FID set to take place this year and preliminary works already started.
The project involves 36 new wells, including 21 producers and 15 injectors, and a converted FPSO vessel with a production capacity of 120,000 barrels per day (bpd).
Azule Energy has already awarded $7.8 billion in contracts, enlisting the services of Yinson Production to operate and maintain the FPSO vessel; TechnipFMC to supply flexible piping; Baker Hughes to provide subsea equipment and services; Aker Solutions to provide dynamic and static subsea umbilicals; and Subsea 7 to transport and install risers, flowlines and subsea structures. Upon completion, the Agogo Integrated West Hub will carry a peak production of 175,000 barrels per day through the new Agogo FPSO unit and the existing Ngoma FPSO, which came online in 2020.
Begonia Oil Field Development
Last July, TotalEnergies announced a three-billion-dollar FID on the Begonia oil field development in Block 17/06, which will be commissioned in late-2024 and will add about 30,000 barrels of crude oil per day to existing production. Located in water depths of up to 750 meters, Begonia consists of five wells tied back to the existing Pazflor FPSO in adjacent Block 17. The initial investment has been estimated at $850 million and 1.3 million man-hours of work – 70% of which will be carried out in Angola.
CLOV Phase 3
Favoring short-cycle development projects, TotalEnergies and ANPG announced plans last June to invest $850 million to further develop the CLOV Phase 3 Project located in Block 17, which will expand production in existing fields by 30,000 bpd.
With five new wells, the project represents an extension of the subsea production network and its interconnection to the existing CLOV FPSO,as well as the first development to leverage standardization of subsea equipment in the block, bringing significant cost reductions of up to 20%. With production anticipated for 2024, CLOV Phase 3will require two million man-hours of work, of which 1.5 million will be executed locally in Lobito and Luanda.
Cameia-Golfinho Development
One of Angola’s most promising deepwater prospects is TotalEnergies’ Cameia-Golfinho deepwater development in Block 20/11 and Block 21/09, estimated to hold 420 million barrels of oil equivalent.
The French major has already issued a tender for a new 100,000-bpd FPSO facility to service the Golfinho field – which is one of seven deepwater discoveries made in Blocks 20/11 and 21/09. FID is expected in June, pending government approval of the field development plan and startup is scheduled for 2027.
