Liquefied natural gas-producing nation Angola, which has pioneered associated gas use from oil fields to turn into LNG for export, has decided to open up the potential of the southern offshore Kwanza Basin likened in some ways by petroleum engineers to the prolific Santos Basin offshore Brazil.
The TotalEnergies-led Cameia-Golfinho project will be the first deepwater development in the pre-salt Kwanza Basin and is estimated to hold at least 420 million barrels of oil equivalent.
Analysts note that Angola is known to have significant untapped resources as demonstrated by the contrast between its proven and estimated reserves of 9 billion versus 57 billion barrels of oil and 11 trillion versus 27 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
The pre-salt areas in southern Africa represent frontier acreage with lower exploration risk and higher potential for production.
As part of its efforts to focus on subsea tie-backs, infill drilling and other near-hub projects, French major TotalEnergies is ready for the development of the pre-salt production hub for Blocks 21/09 and 20/11 in the Kwanza Basin.
The company’s Cameia-Golfinho project in Kwanza will be the first deepwater project in the pre-salt area.
FID scheduled
TotalEnergies and Angolan national oil and gas company, Sonangol Exploration & Production, have just signed a heads of agreement with Angola’s energy regulator, the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG), related to the development of the Cameia and Golfinho fields in the Kwanza Basin and a final investment decision is expected in 2023.
TotalEnergies said that this future offshore development project in Blocks 20 and 21, located around 150 kilometres (93 miles) southwest of Luanda, will comprise a new floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, the seventh for TotalEnergies in Angola, connected to a subsea network.
“The design of this new project includes electrical generation from a combined-cycle turbine and a zero-flaring concept, allowing a lower carbon intensity,” said TotalEnergies.
The Chairman of the Board of regulator ANPG, Paulo Jerónimo, said that the accord with the TotalEnergies-Sonangol joint venture should allow the first production in the maritime zone of the Kwanza and may “contribute decisively” to the national production objectives.
“Its potential may generate interest from other operators, including the beginning of other developments on the Kwanza Basin,” Jerónimo explained.
Gaspar Martins, Chairman of the Board at Sonangol, said the company’s main objective is to make the Kwanza project successful.
“For some time now, we have wanted Blocks 20 and 21 to start producing, and we target a final investment decision this year so that the offshore Kwanza Basin soon begins production,” stated Martins.
TotalEnergies is the Blocks 20-21 operator with an 80 percent shareholding while Sonangol owns the remaining 20 percent.
