TOP 5 PROJECTS
PSVM initiates deepwater development
in block 31 offshore Angola
Project features the frst FPSO in Angola ultra-deepwater
The frst deepwater development in block 31 offshore Angola began pro- duction on Dec. 6, 2012. The $14-bil- lion PSVM development consists of our oil felds – Plutão, Saturno, Vênus
and Marte – in water depths between 1,500
and 2,500 m ( 4,921 and 8,202 ft).
Operated by BP, PVSM is the largest deepwater project in Africa and one of the biggest
offshore oil and gas projects in the world in
terms of water depth and subsea extension.
Located in the northeast section of block 31
about 180 km (112 mi) offshore, PSVM consists of 48 wells ( 22 initial producers, 16 water
injectors, two gas injectors, and eight later inflls) connected to an FPSO through 15 subsea
manifolds and associated subsea equipment.
The project’s frst phase comprises three
wells in the Plutão feld, where BP expects to
ramp up production to 70,000 b/d. Additional
wells will boost PSVM’s output to 150,000 b/d
as wells go onstream in the Saturno and Vênus
felds this year and in the Marte feld in 2014.
BP Exploration (Angola) Ltd. became operator of block 31 in May 1999. The company holds
26.67% interest along with partners Sonangol
E.P. (25%), Sonangol P&P (20%), Statoil Angola
A.S. ( 13.33%), Marathon International Petroleum Angola Block 31 Ltd. (10%), and SSI 31
Ltd. (5%). Sonangol E.P. is the concessionaire.
The Plutão, Saturno, Vênus, and Marte felds
were discovered between 2002 and 2004. In July
2008, BP and its co-venturers received approval
from Sociedade Nacional de Combustiveis de
Angola (Sonangol E.P.) to proceed with the frst
deepwater project in block 31.
Under an engineering, procurement, con-
struction, and installation (EPCI) contract, BP
awarded MODEC a frame agreement to sup-
ply an FPSO for the ultra-deepwater project.
In December 2008, MODEC awarded Jurong
Shipyard a $133-million contract to convert
the very large crude carrier tanker Bourgogne
to an FPSO. The conversion involved installa-
tion of an external turret mooring system and
process facilities including gas turbine genera-
tors, oil separation, gas injection/gas lift, and
water injection systems. SOFEC designed,
constructed, fabricated, and supplied the ex-
ternal turret mooring system, which is one of
the largest external turrets ever constructed
for a foater. The topside modules weigh more
than 20,000 metric tons ( 22,046 tons).
FPSO PSVM, moored in 2,000 m ( 6,561 ft)
of water, is the frst FPSO in Angola ultra-deepwater. Designed to operate for 20 years
without dry docking, the vessel has a production capacity of 157,000 b/d of oil and
245 MMcf/d ( 7 MMcm/d) of gas, with oil
storage capacity of 1. 8 MMbbl. The FPSO is
318 m ( 1,043 ft) long and 57 m (187 ft) wide.
First Subsea supplied 12 Ballgrab ball and
taper connectors for the external turret’s 12
mooring lines. Ballgrab connectors link the
suction piles and ground chain segments,
interfacing directly with the mooring lines’
mooring shackles.
MODEC Offshore Production Systems
contracted VWS Westgarth to supply a water
treatment package comprised of pre-treatment
and seawater sulfate removal systems with a
capacity of 31,800 cu m/d (200,000 b/d) of water. The company also supplied an integrated
seawater reverse osmosis system for process
wash water sized at 20,000 b/d of water.
The subsea infrastructure features nine
wet insulated hybrid risers, 50 km ( 31 mi) of
pipe-in-pipe production fowlines, 56 km ( 35
mi) of plastic lined water injection lines, plus
seven two-slot and six four-slot manifolds.
BP awarded Heerema Marine Contractors
a $1-billion EPCI and testing contract for pipe-
in-pipe production fowlines, service fowlines,
and vertical riser systems. The offshore instal-
lation work was performed by the deepwater
construction vessel Balder. The welding tech-
nology was supported by Pipeline Technique
in Scotland.
Aker Subsea AS won a $69.8-million frame
contract to manufacture and deliver 48 km ( 30
mi) of steel tube umbilicals. The dynamic sec-
tion of the umbilicals features Aker’s patented
carbon fber rod technology, which was devel-
oped for deepwater and ultra-deepwater con-
ditions. This is the frst time carbon fber rod
technology has been used in African waters.
Technip received a $112-million call-off con-
tract for the engineering, procurement, and
manufacture of 40 fexible jumpers. Project
management and engineering was carried out
by the company’s operating center in Paris. The
fexible jumpers were manufactured at the com-
pany’s fexible pipe plant in Le Trait, France.
The company also was awarded a $404-mil-
lion contract for the engineering, procure-
ment, and manufacture of more than 64 km
(40 mi) of rigid fowlines. Project management
and engineering was carried out at the operat-
ing centers in Paris and Luanda, Angola. The
fowlines were assembled at the Angofex
Ltda. spoolbase in Dande, Angola, and the off-
shore works were conducted using Technip’s
deepwater pipelay vessel Deep Blue.
Angofex Ltda. and DUCO (Technip’s whol-
ly owned subsidiary) won a $112-million call-
off contract for the engineering, procurement,
and manufacture of 34 umbilicals with a total
length of 43 km ( 27 mi). Project management
and engineering was carried out by DUCO in
Newcastle, UK. The umbilicals were manufac-
tured at the Angofex plant in Lobito, Angola.
Subsea 7 installed more than 12,000 tons
of subsea infrastructure using the multi-purpose support vessel Seven Seas.
The PSVM project was developed with more
than 20% local content in the manufacture and
assembly of key components in Soyo, Dande,
Luanda, Porto Amboim, and Lobito construction yards.
PSVM is the frst of multiple developments
expected in the 5,349-sq km ( 2,065-sq mi)
block 31. •
Jessica Tippee
Assistant Editor
The FPSO PSVM features one of the largest
external turrets ever constructed for a floater.
(Photo courtesy SOFEC)
