DALLAS, TX — Quayside inspections at the COSCO shipyard in Qidong, China, have not found significant damage to the FPSO for the bp-operated Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project offshore Mauritania/Senegal, according to partner Kosmos Energy.
In September Typhoon Muifa hit the yard, impacting the mooring lines and leading to the vessel drifting about 200 m before being returned to the quayside.
Going forward, the plan is to complete all inspections and incorporate any findings into mechanical completion activities alongside commissioning prior to sailaway, now expected around the end of the year.
Kosmos anticipates first gas around nine months post-sailaway. The project’s FLNG vessel also remains on track for sailaway in the first half of 2023, with first LNG set to follow around the back end of 2023.
As for the project’s other ongoing activities, the hub terminal is largely complete with the living quarters platform installed and commissioning underway.
All four wells have been drilled with a projected production capacity of ~700 MMcf/d, much higher than the ~400 MMcf/d required to satisfy Phase 1 liquefaction volumes.
The shallow-water gas export pipeline from the FPSO to the hub terminal has been laid. The deepwater pipelay vessel is performing final testing prior to mobilization, in the next few weeks, to install the deepwater pipeline and in-field flowlines.
Discussions continue with the governments of Mauritania and Senegal on Phase 2 of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG project. The partners (which include Petrosen and SMH) are looking to reach agreement in the next few months on an appropriate low-cost solution that would tie into the Phase 1 infrastructure.
Last month, Kosmos and bp (again as operator) signed a new production sharing contract with the government of Mauritania covering the offshore BirAllah and/or Orca gas discoveries. They have up to 30 months to submit a development plan covering these discoveries.
As for the Yakaar-Teranga disocveries, the partners are working on a first-phase, domestic-focused gas solution with the government of Senegal.
Elsewhere in West Africa
Kosmos is a partner in the Jubilee Southeast development offshore Ghana, where the project is more than 50% complete. Drilling has started on the first well with all three wells due to be drilled and completed during the first half of 2023. The added wells should raise production from the Jubilee field to about 100,000 bbl/d.
At the nearby TEN project, the second of two riser base wells (NT-11), designed to define the extent of the Ntomme reservoir, delivered about 5 m net oil pay with poorer than expected reservoir quality.
The partners will continue to assess future drilling prospects for TEN, focusing on proven accumulations and areas with existing well control.
In late August, the partners in Block G off Equatorial Guinea negotiated a rig contract for a new drilling campaign lined up for the second half of next year, targeting up to three infill wells and an infrastructure-led exploration well.
Last month, installation started on a second electrical submersible pump this year, and this should help maintain current production levels into 2023.
11.07.2022
