Yoho

Yoho Oil Field Profile

Location and Jurisdiction

The Yoho oil field is located in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 104, offshore Nigeria, in shallow water depths ranging between 200 and 300 feet.

Operators and Partners

• The field is operated by ExxonMobil's subsidiary, Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), which holds a 40% interest in the joint venture.
• The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) holds the remaining 60% interest.

Geology and Reservoirs

• The Yoho field produces from the Yoho and Awawa reservoirs, which are part of the Awawa/Yoho complex.
• These reservoirs are situated in shallow water, facilitating the use of wellhead platforms and other infrastructure.

Development and Production History

• The development of the Yoho field began with an early production system (EPS) using a temporary Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel, known as the FPSO Falcon. This allowed for the first oil to come on stream in 2003, almost two years ahead of the full-field start-up.
• Full-field development involved 33 wells distributed across wellhead platforms, a central production platform, and a living quarters platform. The full-field start-up commenced in January 2006, with an initial production rate of around 150,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd).
• The FPSO Falcon, converted from the Amazon Falcon VLCC, has a storage capacity of 2.2 million barrels and is equipped with an external turret mooring system. It can produce up to 100,000 bopd and handle significant gas and water injection capacities.

Infrastructure and Facilities

• The field infrastructure includes wellhead platforms, a central production platform, a living quarters platform, and the FPSO Falcon.
• The FPSO Falcon is designed to handle 100,000 bopd of oil, 100 million cubic feet of gas per day, and up to 90,000 barrels of water injection per day.
• The project also involves gas reinjection to maximize oil recovery and eliminate routine flaring.

Contractors and Service Providers

• Key contractors include:
  • Saipem: Project management, engineering, procurement, construction, transportation, installation, hook-up, and commissioning of the production platform and other facilities.
  • Keppel: Conversion of the FPSO Falcon.
  • SembCorp: Construction of the Yoho jacket and topsides.
  • Aker Solutions: Internals and transformer components.

Production and Reserves

• The Yoho field has estimated recoverable resources of 0.4 billion barrels of oil.
• The field has produced significant volumes since its start-up, with production rates varying over the years. For example, in 2022, the field produced approximately 21.36 million barrels of oil per year.
• The project has recovered an estimated 0.44 billion barrels of oil from the Yoho and Awawa reservoirs as of the full-field development completion.

Costs and Economic Impact

• The full-field development of the Yoho project incurred a cost of approximately $1.3 billion.
• The project was expected to yield significant revenue, with estimates suggesting that the partners would recoup their investment within a short period of production.

Environmental and Operational Practices

• The project incorporates gas reinjection to eliminate routine flaring and maximize oil recovery, aligning with environmental best practices.

Recent Developments

• As of recent updates, Seplat Energy has acquired ExxonMobil's Nigerian joint venture business, which includes the Yoho field. This change in ownership may influence future operations and development strategies.

In summary, the Yoho oil field is a significant offshore oil project in Nigeria, characterized by its early production system, extensive infrastructure, and ongoing production activities that contribute substantially to Nigeria's oil output.