Angola-bound FPSO tucks new construction milestone under its belt – gallery

Africa-based Azule Energy, a joint venture between BP and Eni, has welcomed the progress made in the construction of a floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel, which is destined to operate off the coast of Angola, as a sign of the Angolan oil sector’s resilience and a testament to the solidity and quality of the forged partnerships.

The new milestone in the construction of the FPSO Agogo was observed during a visit from Diamantino Azevedo, Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, who led a delegation that traveled to Shanghai, China, to check out the construction works. This delegation did not only include members of the Angolan diplomatic entities accredited in China and representatives of the National Agency of Oil, Gas, and Biofuels (ANPG) but also the partners of Block 15/06, where the FPSO is expected to be deployed at the West Hub field offshore Angola.

The delegation witnessed the lifting and installation operation of the first modules and the connection of the electrical system of the residential area for the FPSO at the shipyard where Yinson is carrying out these construction activities. Azule Energy highlights that this progress represents “a substantial advance for the delivery of the facility within the expected deadlines.”

“This milestone shows that the facility will be delivered on time for a project that aims to increase oil production to 170,000 barrels per day and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs. This project is also an important hub for services provided by local companies, as several components are being constructed in the Sonamet, Ambriz, and Sonils yards in Angola,” highlighted the Angolan player.

While Yinson won a contract in February 2023 to deliver the FPSO Agogo, Aker Solutions was picked to provide the umbilical, and Subsea 7 was hired for the transport and installation of flexible pipes, umbilicals, and associated subsea structures. Baker Hughes is in charge of delivering subsea equipment and services and TechnipFMC will supply risers and flowlines.

In addition, MAN Energy Solutions’ scope of supply for the FPSO Agogo‘s gas lift, injection, and export application comprises nine electrically-driven centrifugal-compression trains to maximize the gas production’s flow rate and efficiency. On the other hand, TMC Compressors will deliver a large-capacity marine compressed air system on board the FPSO.

Adriano Mongini, Azule Energy’s CEO, has pointed out that the Agogo Integrated West Hub project spotlights Azule Energy’s vision for the future of Angola’s energy production, aiming to maximize the reserves of Block 15/06 and optimize the Agogo and Ndungu fields by ramping up their production to 170,000 barrels of oil per day. While the block is operated by Azule Energy (36.84% interest), Sonangol Exploration and Production (36.84%) and Sinopec (26.32%) are the Angolan firm’s partners.

The operator underlines that Block 15/06 stands out as an important hub for local services which will benefit the national industry, bringing $5.6 billion and creating 1,400 jobs by 2044. According to Azule Energy, the construction of the FPSO Agogo, which began in 2023, entails “a first-of-its-kind innovation” in the oil and gas industry, as it will come with a post-combustion carbon capture and storage (CCS) unit, said to be the world’s first installed on board an FPSO.

Aside from this, the FPSO will feature other emission reduction technologies such as electrification, advanced automation and digitalization, a combined-cycle power system, a seawater turbine generator, a hydrocarbon cargo tank cover scheme, and an integrated closed firing system.

“The combined innovations on board the Agogo FPSO will significantly reduce its overall carbon emissions and improve operational efficiency, making it an industry-leading project,” concluded Azule Energy.

The company recently set the wheels into motion to use a digital design and visualization platform from FutureOn to propel the development of four oil projects forward.