The Lamp - ExxonMobil

West Africa update
15
Angolan project
brings gains in oil production, use of
local resources and worker safety
The successful startup of two more fields in ExxonMobil’s Kizomba C
development off the West African coast has brought on vital additions of
oil for a world whose energy needs are growing. The path to this accomplishment
includes maximizing local content and a coordinated effort to
improve worker safety among each of the project’s major contractors.
Ninety miles off the coast
of Angola, Kizomba C is
ExxonMobil’s largest subsea oil
project. It comprises three fields:
Mondo, which came on stream
in January 2008, and Saxi and
Batuque, which began production
this summer. It’s designed to
develop 600 million barrels of oil.
The development includes
two floating production, storage
and offloading (FPSO) vessels
and 36 subsea wells.
ExxonMobil, operator with a
40 percent interest, was awarded
Block 15, where Kizomba C is
located, in 1994. The first discovery
occurred in 1998. Sonangol,
the Angolan national oil company,
is concessionaire, and other participants
include BP Exploration
(Angola) Limited 26.67 percent,
ENI Angola Exploration B.V. 20
percent and Statoil Angola Block
15 A.S. 13.33 percent.
The twin FPSO vessels are the
fourth and fifth production hubs
Story by Bill Corporon
on Block 15, where production
reached a total of 700,000 barrels
a day in August 2008.
Startup of the Saxi and
Batuque fields in Angola’s prolific
Block 15 follows other ExxonMobil
projects that began producing
in 2008, including Kizomba C
Mondo (Angola), Volve (Norway),
Starling (UK), ACG Phase 3
(Azerbaijan) and East Area Natural
Gas Liquids II (Nigeria).
Maximizing local resources
In developing Kizomba C,
ExxonMobil has spent nearly
$1.5 billion on Angolan goods
and services as part of the
company’s national content program.
These purchases include
contracts for in-country services
and training and development of
Angolan personnel.
For example, four local
companies were selected to
provide in-country fabrication
expertise for such components
as manifolds, mooring systems
and FPSO turret structures.
These and other elements were
transported from Angola to the
Keppel Shipyard Limited facility
in Singapore for assembly and
integration into the FPSOs.
In addition to purchasing equipment
and fabrication services from
Angolan companies, ExxonMobil
continued a longstanding practice
of hiring and training Angolan
engineers and other personnel –
a practice established by the
company long before production
began from Kizomba C.
A notable example was a new
training initiative for the Kizomba
C project that leveraged its contractors
to provide training of
Angolans in fabrication and operations-type
assignments. During
a two-year period, 75 employees
from Angolan companies were
given the opportunity to develop
new skills. Many traveled to the
Keppel Shipyard, where they
Photo by Keith Wood
Kizomba C involves the development of
600 million barrels of oil from three fields
using 36 subsea wells and two floating
production, storage and offloading vessels,
one of which is pictured above.
received hands-on training in
fabrication and project management
skills. This included experiences
in safety planning, welding,
scheduling and contracting.
Another 50 Angolans were
trained to support and operate
the FPSOs through courses
provided in the United Kingdom
and other European countries as
well as South Africa.
In turn, they brought their new
skills home to Angola and, by
sharing them with colleagues,
helped spread knowledge and
technology in the indigenous
work force.
“ExxonMobil is committed
to developing national content
and local companies wherever
we operate in the world,” says
Mike Flynn, vice president for