Offshore staff

LONDON -- Afren Plc. and partner Amni International Petroleum Development Co. have received approval for the Okoro Setu field development plan from the Nigerian government.

The approved plan includes development drilling of up to six deviated or horizontal gravel-packed oil production wells from a single field location supported by a minimum facilities wellhead platform. The drilling and completion sequence will begin in Q3 2007.

Produced oil from the field will be transported for processing by pipeline to a leased FPSO that will be moored 1 km (0.6 mi) south of the field. Associated gas production will be used as fuel for the vessel's power generation and as lift gas to assist well productivity.

Most of the major contracts and materials purchase orders are in place to support the overall target for first oil by early 2008, and the company is in advanced stage negotiations on its preferred FPSO.

"It is a real accomplishment to have achieved field development plan approval within four months of appraisal drilling. Together with the recently secured $200-million debt facility, field development plan approval marks another important milestone in achieving our target of 15,000-20,000 b/d of oil by early 2008," says Osman Shahenshah, chief executive of Afren.

4/3/2007