Orquidea

Location and Geology

• The Orquidea field is situated approximately 140 km offshore Angola, in water depths ranging between 1,100 and 1,400 meters.
• The field is part of Block 17, which is operated by TotalEnergies and includes other fields such as Cravo, Lirio, and Violeta.

Discovery and Development

• Orquidea was discovered in 1999, along with the Cravo field, while Lirio was discovered in 1998 and Violeta in 2001.
• The development of the CLOV project, including Orquidea, was approved in August 2010. Production from the CLOV project started in June 2014.

Production and Reservoir Characteristics

• The Orquidea field, along with Violeta, produces mixed Oligocene and Miocene oils. This is in contrast to the Cravo and Lirio fields, which produce only Oligocene oil.
• The Orquidea and Violeta reservoirs contain oil with different pressures, temperatures, and viscosities compared to the Cravo and Lirio reservoirs. Specifically, the Miocene oil from Orquidea and Violeta has an API gravity of 20-30°, which is more permeable and viscous than the 32-35° API crude from the Oligocene reservoirs of Cravo and Lirio.

Infrastructure and Operations

• The production from Orquidea is tied back to the CLOV floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) unit. This FPSO is all-electric and features variable-speed drive (VSD) systems to control energy consumption.
• The CLOV FPSO has a production capacity of 160,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) and a gas treatment capacity of 6.5 million cubic meters per day. It also has an oil storage capacity of 1.8 million barrels.
• The project involves a network of subsea wells, including 19 producer wells and 15 water injector wells in Phase 1, and additional wells in Phase 2. The wells are connected through a 211 km-long subsea pipeline network, including production manifolds and umbilicals.

Phase 2 Development

• The CLOV Phase 2 project, which includes additional development of the Orquidea field, was sanctioned in 2018 and started production in December 2021. This phase involves the drilling of seven additional wells and the installation of subsea infrastructure, with production expected to reach 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by mid-2022.

Partners and Contractors

• TotalEnergies operates Block 17 with a 38% interest. Other partners include Equinor (22.16%), ExxonMobil (19%), BP Exploration Angola (15.84%), and Sonangol P&P (5%).
• Key contractors involved in the CLOV development include Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) for the FPSO construction, Subsea 7 for the subsea pipelines and infrastructure, and Technip for various subsea components.

Technological Innovations

• The CLOV project, including the Orquidea field, employs innovative technologies such as an all-electric FPSO and a subsea multi-phase pumping system to enhance oil recovery as reservoir pressures decline. This system accommodates a mixture of oil, gas, and water at high speeds.

In summary, the Orquidea oil project is an integral part of the CLOV development in Block 17, offshore Angola, characterized by its deepwater location, complex reservoir geology, and advanced technological solutions to optimize production.