The Akpo West field is an offshore gas and condensate field situated off the Nigerian coast. It is part of the larger Akpo field that also comprises the Akpo Main field.
The field is owned by operator TotalEnergies (24%), China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) (45%), Sapetro (15%) and Prime 130 (16%).
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Production at the Akpo West field commenced in February 2024.
The project is part of the Nigerian government’s directive to boost production from the country’s oil and gas assets.
It contributes an additional 14,000 barrels of condensate per day to the country’s gas production capacity.
Plans are in place to increase gas production by up to four million cubic metres per day by 2028.
Project location
The Akpo West field lies 135km off the Nigerian coast within the Petroleum Mining Lease (PML) 2 (formerly OML 130), which also includes the Egina field.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company acts as the concessionaire of the production-sharing contract.
The production license for the block was renewed for 20 years in May 2023.
The renewal enables the partners to continue development within the block including the Preowei discovery, which is planned to be developed by tie-back to the Egina floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.
Akpo West field development details
The Akpo West field is developed as a tied back to the Akpo FPSO vessel deployed at the Akpo Main field.
The field has two production wells, which were brought upstream during the first quarter of 2024.
It utilises the existing Akpo field infrastructure to maintain low operating costs while also minimising emissions.
The project’s carbon intensity is anticipated to be below 5kg carbon dioxide equivalent/barrels of oil equivalent, which will help to reduce the average carbon intensity of TotalEnergies’ portfolio.
It is the second tie-back project undertaken by TotalEnergies in Nigeria after the Ikike oil field.
Akpo FPSO details
The Akpo FPSO was commissioned in 2005. It measures 310m in length and has a width of 61m.
The vessel is permanently moored in 1,314m of water at the Akpo field using 12 mooring lines, each with a length of 2,400m.
The FPSO boasts an average production capacity of 225,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and has a storage capacity of two million barrels of oil.
The vessel can accommodate 240 crew members.
The vessel’s construction was awarded as a lumpsum turnkey contract to a consortium of TechnipFMC and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The two companies were responsible for its engineering, supply, construction, offshore commissioning, and procurement.
The Akpo FPSO produced an average of 124,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2023.
Akpo field details
The Akpo field itself is located approximately 175km from Port Harcourt, within the PML 2, at water depths ranging between 1,100m to 1,300m.
It was discovered in April 2000 via the first exploration well, Akpo-1.
The appraisal drilling programme involved four vertical wells, two side tracks, and detailed reservoir and development studies.
Subsequently, a field development plan was submitted to the Department of Petroleum Resources for approval.
The Akpo field was developed with a total of 50 wells, which include 44 producers and six infill wells.
It commenced production in March 2009 via the Akpo FPSO and achieved a peak production capacity of 180,000 barrels per day.
Condensate produced from the field is exported via a buoy, which is located 2km from the FPSO.
A portion of the gas is reinjected while the remainder is transported through 150km of pipelines to the Amenam/Kpono platform.
It is then further transported to the Bonny liquefied natural gas plant located on Bonny Island in Rivers State, Nigeria.
