BP and Eni’s Angolan JV turns to Aker Solutions for work on two FPSOs

Norway-based energy services provider Aker Solutions has been hired on a multi-year assignment by Angola-headquartered Azule Energy, a joint venture between BP and Eni, to provide brownfield maintenance and modification scopes for two floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels in Angola.

This long-term brownfield and modification frame agreement with Azule Energy, which Aker Solutions deems to be sizeable as its value is between NOK 0.5 billion (nearly $47.3 million) and NOK 1.5 billion (almost $141.9 million), will enable the Norwegian firm to handle engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for brownfield projects and modifications related to the Greater Plutonio and PSVM FPSOs.

This deal, which is said to be a continuation of the current frame agreement between the two players, covers maintenance and modification activities over three years but also entails two one-year options. According to Aker Solutions, the work will be executed and delivered by the team based in Luanda, Angola, and Aberdeen, UK.

Paal Eikeseth, Aker Solutions’ Executive Vice President and Head of Life Cycle, commented:  “This new contract strengthens our global life cycle operations and is a pivotal project for our offices in Aberdeen and Luanda. We are actively recruiting to enhance the strength and competence of our existing project team. Moving forward, our local business development efforts will focus on improving and strengthening relationships with local subcontractors, as well as hiring and training local personnel.”

Furthermore, the project management is set to be based in Angola to be close to the operation and enable further growth in terms of in-country execution and the development of Aker Solutions’ local workforce. The company claims that over 40% of the total scope volume is being executed in Angola while “a significantly increased” target is said to have been set for the new contract period.   

“We are pleased to have received renewed trust from Azule Energy and will continue to ensure the delivery of reliable and safe executions to safeguard the integrity of the FPSOs,”  highlighted Eikeseth.   

The 1.75-million-barrel capacity spread-moored FPSO Greater Plutonio works on Azule Energy’s Block 18 concession offshore Angola. The Platina field, developed as a subsea tie-back to this FPSO, was brought online in November 2021. TechnipFMC was hired in June 2023 to supply subsea production systems for Block 18 infills development.

While eight discoveries were made at the block, the Galio, Cromio, Cobalto, Paladio, and Plutonio fields made up the first producing development known as Greater Plutonio, which came on stream in October 2007, about 160 km northwest of Luanda.

With 1.6 million barrels of storage capacity, the FPSO PSVM works in the development area consisting of the Plutão, Saturno, Vénus, and Marte (PSVM) fields in Block 31, some 400 kilometers northwest of Luanda. This development project officially started production in 2013 but the first oil was achieved in December 2012.