Drilling has started on the Aje 5 production well in Aje field offshore Nigeria, paving the way for first oil on the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel development.
The three-phase development, starting with two production wells, Aje 5 and a re-entry of Aje 4, will use Rubicon Offshore International's Front Puffin FPSO, which is currently being refurbished in Singapore.
The two Phase I development wells are being drilled using Saipem's Scarabeo 3 semisubmersible drilling rig, in about 300m water depth, with the first well due to take about 70 days before moving on to re-enter and complete the Aje 4 well.
According to partner MX Oil, the Phase 1 Aje development, in the OML 133 license, in the Dahomey Basin, close to the border with Benin, is targeting first oil in December 2015 and peak gross production of 41 API oil from Aje 5 and 4 is expected to reach 11,000 b/d. Phase 2 is targeting an increase in gross production to 19,000 b/d from an additional two-well development.
According to partner Panoro Energy, The Aje Field contains hydrocarbon resources in sandstone reservoirs in three main levels - a Turonian gas condensate reservoir, a Cenomanian oil reservoir and an Albian gas condensate reservoir.
Installation of the production manifold, flowlines, umbilicals and risers on the field is due to take place in Q4 2015. The 245.6m-long Front Puffin is fitted with a disconnectable submerged turret mooring system, which connects to the seabed via a submerged buoy and multiple leg mooring spread.
The vessel was built in 1990 and converted to a DP shuttle tanker in 1994 and then an FPSO in 2007, in order to work offshore north west Australia for Sea Production on blocks AC/P22. It has a tandem offtake mooring system and floating hose arrangement and facilities for gas lift compression for artificial lift.
Aje is operated by Nigerian firm Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum (YFP). The other partners are Jacka Resources, New Age, First Hydrocarbon Nigeria, and Energy Equity Resources.
Image: Saipem's Scarabeo 3. Photo from South African Oil & Gas Alliance.
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