Moho-Bilondo

Location and Overview

The Moho-Bilondo oil field is situated approximately 70-75 kilometers off the coast of the Republic of Congo, specifically near the city of Pointe-Noire.

Ownership and Partners

The project is operated by Total E&P Congo, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies, which holds a 53.5% interest in the Moho-Bilondo licence. The other partners include Chevron with a 31.5% interest and the Congolese state-owned oil company, Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC), with a 15% interest.

History and Development Phases

• Discovery: The first discovery in the area was the Bilondo field in January 1995, followed by the Mobim discovery in August 2004. Further discoveries were made in 2007 and 2008, including the Moho Nord Marine-1, Moho Nord Marine-2, and Moho Nord Marine-3 wells.
• Phase 1: The initial development phase of the Moho-Bilondo field began production in April 2008, targeting the Mobim and Bilondo reservoirs. This phase achieved a plateau production of 90,000 barrels of oil per day by June 2010.
• Phase 1bis: Launched in 2013, this phase involved the tie-in of 11 subsea wells in the southern part of the Moho-Bilondo permit to the existing floating production unit (FPU). The first oil production from this phase was achieved in December 2015, increasing production by 40,000 barrels per day.
• Moho Nord Phase: This phase, which came online in March 2017, targets the northern part of the licence area. It includes 17 subsea wells tied into a new FPU and a tension leg platform (TLP) for the Albian reservoirs. This phase significantly expanded the production capacity.

Infrastructure and Production

• Floating Production Units (FPUs):
  • The initial FPU, Alima, was designed to handle 90,000 barrels of crude oil, 45 million cubic feet of gas, and 75,000 barrels of water per day. It was upgraded during the Phase 1bis development.
  • The new FPU, Likouf, is an all-electric unit and is part of the Moho Nord project. It can process 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and is designed to produce oil from both the Miocene and Albian reservoirs.
• Tension Leg Platform (TLP): A TLP was built as part of the Moho Nord project to develop the Albian reservoirs at water depths of up to 3,000 meters. This is the first TLP installed by TotalEnergies in Africa.
• Subsea Wells and Systems: The project includes a total of 33 wells across the different phases. These wells are connected via subsea production systems, including umbilicals, flowlines, and manifolds.
• Export: The oil is exported to the onshore Djeno terminal via pipelines. The Moho Nord project also includes a tie-in to the existing shallow-water N’Kossa platform for gas exchange.

Production Capacity

The combined production from the Moho Phase 1bis and Moho Nord developments is approximately 140,000 barrels of oil per day, which represents more than half of the Republic of Congo's total oil production.

Technological and Environmental Aspects

• Technological Innovations: The Moho Nord project features several technological firsts, including the use of an all-electric FPU (Likouf) designed to minimize environmental impact by reducing gas combustion and ensuring zero routine flaring.
• Environmental and Safety Measures: The project emphasizes maximum safety and minimum environmental impact. It includes the recovery of waste heat, the reinjection of all produced water, and a comprehensive safety program with "Safety Champions" to ensure zero accidents.

Reservoirs and Geology

The Moho-Bilondo licence block encompasses four reservoirs at water depths ranging from 600 to 1,200 meters. The reservoirs include:

• Miocene Reservoirs: These are located in both the southern and northern parts of the licence area.
• Albian Reservoirs: These are deeper, located in the northern part of the licence area, and are accessed via the TLP.

The oil in these reservoirs is trapped in complex geological formations, including small sand channels and discrete reservoirs, which pose challenges for fluid circulation and production predictions.