Lagos offshore oil field targets March for production

The Aje shallow-water field offshore Lagos is now expected to reach first oil at the end of March 2016 as against the end of 2015 previously targeted by the joint venture partners on the project.

This is the second time the production date is being postponed as the first target was December 2015.

Panoro Energy, the company working on the field says this is as final works have been completed on the FPSO which has now departed Singapore.

Following a brief stop in Cape Town, the vessel is expected to arrive in Nigeria in mid-March.

All main equipment for the development is in Nigeria.

Anchor handling operations started offshore in January and will continue until mid-February.

Later this month the construction vessel will install subsea equipment, including the manifold and flow lines.

Once the FPSO has arrived it will be hooked-up to the mooring system and risers, to be followed by a short test of the production systems.

Aje, operated by Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum, is in the Benin basin, 24 km (14.9 mi) offshore western Nigerian in a water depth of 300 ft (91 m).

One of the partners, Panoro Energy, an independent exploration and production company with assets in Nigeria and Gabon, stated this in a new update.

Panoro, in the latest update, said the Aje-5 production well located on the OML 113 license had been successfully completed and the reservoir had been perforated in the Upper and Lower Cenomanian Oil bearing zones.

It said the subsea tree had been installed and the well had been suspended, ready for connection to the oil production facilities prior to the commencement of production.

Panoro said, “The Saipem Scarabeo 3 semi-submersible drilling rig has been moved to re-enter the existing Aje-4 well for completion as a second Cenomanian production well.

“All key equipment related to the Aje oilfield development has now been delivered to Lagos, including the FPSO moorings and turret buoy, the production manifold, the umbilical termination assembly, and the umbilical’s and flow lines.”

OLUSOLA BELLO