Kaombo

Kaombo Oil Project Profile

Location and Block Details

• The Kaombo oil project is located in Block 32, approximately 150-260 kilometers offshore from Luanda, Angola. The block is situated in ultra-deep waters, with depths ranging from 1,400 to 1,950 meters.

Partners and Ownership

• The project is operated by TotalEnergies with a 30% stake. Other partners include Sonangol P&P (30%), Sonangol Sinopec International (20%), Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited (15%), and Galp Energia (5%).

Project Overview

• The Kaombo project is one of the largest ultra-deepwater oil field development projects in Angola. It involves the development of six satellite fields: Gengibre, Gindungo, Caril, Canela, Mostarda, and Louro, spread over an area of approximately 800 square kilometers.

Reserves and Production

• The estimated oil reserves for the Kaombo project are around 658 million barrels, although some sources indicate a range between 658 and 911 million barrels.
• The project has a total production capacity of 230,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd), with each of the two Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) units capable of processing 115,000 bopd.

FPSO Units

• The two FPSO vessels, Kaombo Norte and Kaombo Sul, were converted from very large crude carriers (VLCCs) named VLCC Olympia and VLCC Antarctica, respectively. The conversions were carried out at Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore, with the topsides fabricated at Saipem’s Karimun Island Yard in Indonesia.
• Each FPSO has a water injection capacity of 200,000 bopd, a gas compression capacity of 100 million cubic feet per day (mcf/d), and an oil storage capacity of 1.7 million barrels.

Subsea Infrastructure

• The project involves 59 subsea production wells, making it the largest subsea well system in Angola for a single project. These wells are connected via 300 kilometers of subsea pipelines to the two FPSO units.
• The subsea production system includes 20 subsea manifolds and 65 well-sets with vertical subsea trees, ancillary controls, and work-over and tie-in systems.

Contractors and Contracts

• Saipem was awarded the engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning (EPCIC) contract for the two FPSO units, worth $3 billion. Saipem also received a $1 billion contract to operate and maintain the FPSO units for seven years.
• A consortium of Technip and Heerema Marine Contractors was awarded the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) contract for the subsea umbilicals, risers, and flowlines (SURF) worth $3.5 billion. Aker Solutions received a $1.6 billion contract for the supply of the subsea production system.
• Other contractors involved include Vallourec, Fugro, ATB Riva Calzoni, TLC, Abyss Energy, Exova, Strainstall, ClampOn, Schneider Electric, and Mentor IMC Group. DNV GL provided marine warranty services for the project.

Development and Milestones

• The final investment decision (FID) for the Kaombo project was made in April 2014, which helped reduce the overall investment by $4 billion from the initial estimate of $20 billion to $16 billion.
• The first FPSO unit, Kaombo Norte, started production in July 2018, and the second unit, Kaombo Sul, began operations in April 2019.

Associated Gas and Other Activities

• The associated gas produced at the field is exported to the Angola LNG plant in Soyo.

The Kaombo project is a significant technical achievement, showcasing innovative solutions for ultra-deepwater oil production and highlighting the collaborative efforts of multiple international partners and contractors.