Chevron operates two of the four concessions that it owns in Angola. It operates Block 0 offshore Cabinda and Block 14, which lies west from Block 0, through its subsidiary Cabinda Gulf Oil (CABGOC).
Mafumeira Field, discovered in 1998, is one of the 21 fields owned by Chevron in Block 0. The Block spreads over 2,100 square miles.
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Block 0 is owned by a consortium called Cabinda Association. Chevron owns a 39.2% stake in Block 0 through CABGOC.
The other stakeholders are Sonangol with 41%, Total with 10% and ENI with 9.8%.
The phase 1 development of the field, Mafumeira Norte, commenced production in the first week of July 2009, about three months ahead of the scheduled completion. Mafumeira Norte, the northern part of the Mafumeira Field, is located 24km off the coast and about 49m below sea level.
Mafumeira field is in Area A of Block 0. Block 0, delineated in 1986, comprises 21 fields in Area A and Area B. Area A comprises 15 fields and Area B with six fields.
Production
Chevron’s operations in Angola recorded 534,000 barrels of liquids per day in 2008. Its operations included Block 0 off Cabinda Province, Block 2 off northwest Angola, Block 14 located west of Block 0 in deep water and block Fina Sonangol Texaco onshore.
Block 0 produced 344,000 barrels of liquids per day in 2008. Area A’s daily production in 2008 was 191,000 barrels of crude oil and 2,000 barrels of LPG. Area B, with six fields, records an average daily production of 132,000 barrels of crude and condensate, and 19,000 barrels of LPG.
Field development
Proved undeveloped reserves for Mafumeira Norte were initially booked in 2003 and platform topsides laid in December 2008. A budget of $500m was approved for the development of Mafumeira Norte in 2006.
Production at the field was scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2009, but it began three months in advance. Field development works are still in progress at the project.
The peak production of 30,000 barrels of crude oil and 30 million ft3 of natural gas per day is expected to be reached in 2011.
Infrastructure
Mafumeira Norte is connected to Kungulo water injection platform (KWIP) through 14 wells. KWIP is a production processing and water injection platform. It was installed in 1999 for the Kungulo field. Pipelines were laid for 25km to connect Mafumeira Norte to KWIP.
CABGOC has taken up several infrastructure upgrades in Area A under the Greater Takula infrastructure project for better gas management and water treatment in the area.
The Takula Gas Processing Platform commenced operations in December 2008, while work is underway at the Cabinda Gas Plant, and Takula and Malongo Flare and Relief Modification Project. The three projects are intended to reduce gas flare-ups in Area A. They have been designed to collect the excess natural gas and send it back into the reservoirs.
Discovery
In August 2009, CABGOC announced the discovery 225ft of net hydrocarbon. The discovery, in the Upper Pinda formation, was made through the 79-3XST1 well drilled in March 2009. The well was drilled in 397ft of water to a total vertical depth of 13,000ft.
Contractors
Sonamet Industrial, an oilfield fabrication company, was awarded a multimillion dollar engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract to design and construct the Mafumeira platform. The contractor built the platform and topsides, and took up fabrication of the platform at its yard in Lobito, Angola.
Sonamet, a joint venture between Sonangol and Acergy, was selected as a part of – Chevron’s commitment to encourage participation from Angolan oil industry suppliers. The EPCI contract is the first such contract bagged by Sonamet and the first by an Angolan contractor.
