BackN’Goma FPSO, which arrived just over one month ago in Angola, enjoyed a shower of champagne at quayside in Paenal shipyard on 18th July 2014.
Paenal, now a landmark for oil and gas operators in West Africa, hosted the naming ceremony on 18th July for the Sonasing owned vessel – a Joint venture company with SBM Offshore, Sonangol and Angolan Offshore Services.
The Angolan shipyard completed its scope for the FPSO on schedule. The vessel has now sailed away offshore to eni operated Block 15/06 where mooring operations by the SBM Installer vessel will take place.
The vessel was christened by the S.Exa.Srª.Engª. Francisca Breganha Christavão de Lemos Viera Dias da Silva. The event was attended by local Angolan dignitaries and representatives from the National Oil Company Sonangol and SBM Offshore (both joint venture partners in the yard since 2008), eni Angola SpA (Operator), Block 15/06 Joint Venture Partners (namely Sonangol Pesquisa e Produção, SSI Fifteen), OPS and of course Paenal.
At the ceremony Paenal yard General Manager, Cesar Guerra said “Paenal is very proud to host the naming ceremony for N’Goma on behalf of eni Angola SpA and OPS. The event coincides with the completion of the yard’s scope, which included the construction and lifting onboard of two complex modules. The satisfaction of the client with the yard’s work is a testimony to the superior know-how, experience and pride that Paenal employees bring to each project. As we handover N’Goma FPSO to OPS, which will undertake operations offshore Angola, I wish its crew all the best.”
Jean-Philippe Rodrigues, SBM Offshore Business Development Senior Vice President in Angola said “The fact that Paenal is now a successful, state-of-the-art fabrication shipyard with 85% Angolan nationals employed here represents a success story in the development of the country’s facilities and infrastructure. The yard’s capacity and highly qualified and trained workers are the result of a major investment over the past eight years by SBM Offshore and our partner Sonangol. Paenal has the capacity to serve the Angolan Oil and Gas industry’s ambitious plans for production offshore. SBM is proud to be partners with Sonangol and contribute to reaching this goal.”
Commenting on the completion of N’Goma FPSO at Paenal, Project Manager Jerome Garidou said “Paenal has done a first-rate job, the quality of the work undertaken meets if not exceeds the level expected from well-established, international yards.”
Commenting on the future operations of N’Goma FPSO, Fabrice Dumortier, OPS General Manager said at the ceremony “The FPSO will begin operations for eni under a lease and operate contract with OPS, an equal Joint Venture company between Sonangol and SBM Offshore. We are very happy to welcome the FPSO back home to Angola following its conversion. N’Goma FPSO will benefit from OPS’ 41 years of cumulative experience in operations offshore Angola and its excellent safety record. We look forward to the successful operation of N’Goma over the next 12 years.
Background
eni Angola
eni has been present in Angola since 1980 with a net production of 87 kboe/d in 2013. eni is the Operator of Block 15/06, while Sonangol EP is the Concessionaire. The other partners of the joint venture are namely Sonangol Pesquisa e Produção, SSI Fifteen Limited and Falcon Oil Holding Angola SA.
SBM Offshore
Today SBM Offshore employs over 1,700 people in their Angolan operations (including Paenal staff) and has been established in the country since 1997.
Paenal
Inaugurated in 2008, Paenal shipyard was established to meet Angola’s vital need to develop manufacturing technology and to facilitate the integration of FPSO modules. The Heavy Lift Crane (HLC) rated 2500t, which was inaugurated in 2013, combined with 490 metres of purpose-built quayside, means that the yard is fully commissioned and can accommodate the installation of topsides onto mega FPSOs. Paenal is capable of producing up to 10,000 tons of modules per year.
To put in place the required skilled workers sourced locally and meet international standards, required an initiative and investment by the shipyard’s partners. In parallel with construction of the yard a dedicated training school was established in Porto Amboim, which contributes to the knowledge base of Angola’s oil & gas industry. Since 2008 the yard’s workforce has grown exponentially. From a humble start six years ago, almost 1,200 people are now employed, of which 85% are Angolan nationals – a level well above the 70% minimum imposed on the industry by the government. Globally SBM Offshore employs over 1,700 people in their Angolan operations (including Paenal).
N’Goma FPSO
The FPSO is owned by the company Sonasing (Shareholders: SBM Offshore, Sonangol and Angolan Offshore Services). FPSO Xikomba was disconnected from Angola Block 15 in 2011 where it had operated for eight years. SBM has converted the FPSO, renamed it as N’Goma, and it will be operated by OPS. The relocated N’Goma FPSO will handle the production of eni operated Block 15/06, West Hub, in Angolan deep waters.
The FPSO will have a total oil processing capacity of 100,000 bopd, gas handling capacity of 115 mmscfd and water injection capacity of 120,000 bwpd.
OPS
In June 2014, OPS celebrated ten years in operations, marking 41 years of cumulative FPSO experience offshore Angola. It is a joint venture between Sonangol (50%) and SBM Offshore (50%).
In a ten year period (2004-2014) with an uptime of 99% and 15 million man-hours, the OPS fleet has produced over 703 million barrels of oil, which represents a significant part of Angolan national oil production. Nine years without Lost Time Injury (LTI) demonstrates the Company’s firm commitment to its safety values.
The company’s head office is based in Luanda and has shore bases in Cabinda and Soyo; it employs 450 people onshore and offshore.
