Total Launches CLOV Offshore Angola

Total, operator of Block 17 in Angola, started up CLOV, a major deep offshore development located 140 kilometers offshore Luanda, in line with the initial project schedule.

With a production capacity of 160,000 barrels per day, CLOV will develop proven and probable reserves of over 500 million barrels. After Girassol, Dalia and Pazflor, CLOV is the fourth FPSO unit on Block 17.

“CLOV is a flagship project for Total. It demonstrates the Group’s capacity to successfully start-up projects on time and within budget while mastering cutting-edge deep offshore technologies and keeping safety and environment a top priority”, commented Arnaud Breuillac, President Exploration & Production at Total.

He further said: “CLOV will contribute to increasing the Block 17 production to 700,000 barrels per day while also generating significant free cash flow for the Group. Block 17 will therefore become Total’s most prolific production site and bring us a step closer to achieving our production potential of 3 million barrels per day by 2017.”

Developing four fields (Cravo, Lirio, Orquidea and Violeta), the project comprises 34 wells and 8 manifolds connected by 180 km of subsea pipelines to an FPSO unit at water depths of 1,100 to 1,400 m. Measuring 305 meters long and 61 meters wide, the FPSO has a storage capacity of 1.8 million barrels of oil. The gas produced on CLOV will be exported via a subsea line to the onshore Angola LNG liquefaction plant.

CLOV is a subsea multiphase pump system will be used deep offshore to enable production of two different oil qualities from the oligocene reservoirs and the more viscous miocene reservoirs. A first for Total at this depth, this system will be used to boost the commingled fluid and enhance oil recovery.