Eni started production from the Vandumbu oilfield offshore Angola in late November, three months ahead of schedule, the Italian energy company announced Monday.
Located in Block 15/06, approximately 350 kilometers (km) northwest of Luanda and 130 km west of Soyo, Vandumbu’s ramp-up is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2019 to achieve a total production of about 170,000 barrels of oil per day and further extend the production plateau.
The production was achieved through the West Hub N'Goma FPSO [floating production storage and offloading] unit, according to Eni's statement.
'This, along with the startup of a Subsea Multiphase Boosting System (SMBS) achieved in early December, is boosting the oil production from Block 15/06 by 20,000 barrels of oil per day via West Hub’s N’Goma FPSO,' it said.
According to the press release, the two startups mark a further step forward in the phased and clustered development strategy that Eni has adopted for Block 15/06, and which has allowed the startup of eight fields since November 2014, when production from West Hub started from the Sangos field.
A joint venture formed by operator Eni with a 36.84 percent stake, Angola's Sonangol P&P also with a 36.84 percent share and SSI Fifteen Limited with a 26.32 percent share is developing Block 15/06.
According to the statement, Eni has been present in Angola since 1980 and currently holds an equity production of about 150,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
By Hale Turkes
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr