The unit belongs to Block 17/06, located in Zaire province, 150 kilometers off the Angolan coast, and is operated by TotalEnergies (30 percent) and its partners Sonangol EP (30 percent), SSI (27.5 percent), ETU Energias (7.5 percent), and Falcon Oil (5 percent).
According to a statement from the National Agency of Petroleum, Gas, and Biofuels (ANPG), the national concessionaire, TotalEnergies and its partners will begin production (first oil) from the Begonia Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading Unit (FPSO), which, it says, "represents the first subsea development between blocks in Angola, specifically Blocks 17 and 17/06."
This, "in a water depth between 800 and 1200 meters, with the underwater connection of five oil wells connected to the existing subsea facilities of the FPSO Pazflor," the note states.
ANPG emphasizes that, despite the existence of two different contracting groups, Blocks 17 and 17/06, "as a result of the joint work between the concessionaire and its partners, it was possible to achieve the technical and contractual feasibility and sanctioning of the Begonia project."
Regarding the project, the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, quoted in the note, stated that "it is crucial to maintaining Angola's production, optimizing existing assets and resources."
"We will continue to make every effort to provide operators and partners with the best opportunities to maximize their activities in Angola and increase the productivity and efficiency of our oil sector," Diamantino Azevedo assured.
In turn, the chairman of ANPG's board of directors, Paulino Jerónimo, also quoted in the note, emphasized that the FPSO Begónia "is the first inter-block project in Angola, with a significant local content component, involving 1.3 million work hours, 70 percent of which were carried out in Angola, primarily at the SONILS logistics base in Luanda."
"This inter-block development is a first for Angola. We will produce oil from one block using the existing facilities of another block. This demonstrates our ability to come together and find innovative solutions for the benefit of all parties. This was only possible thanks to the cooperation of the national concessionaire (ANPG), the partners, and the fact that TotalEnergies is the operator of both blocks (Block 17 and Block 17/06)," said Martin Deffontaines, the French oil company's general manager in Angola.
He emphasized that "this project will bring low-cost reserves with low emissions."
Regarding Block 17, the national concessionaire and operator TotalEnergies (38 percent) and partners Equinor (22.16 percent), ExxonMobil (19 percent), Azule Energy (15.84 percent), and Sonangol E&P (5 percent) announced the start of production from CLOV Phase 3, a satellite project in the deep offshore Block 17, with an estimated production of 30,000 barrels per day.
Located 150 kilometers off the Angolan coast, in the seas of Zaire province, CLOV Phase 3 consists of the development of a subsea tie-in of five oil wells connected to the existing subsea FPSO CLOV facilities.
Martin Deffontaines highlighted that CLOV phase 3 has great symbolism for the company "because it is part, like Begonia, of the first projects to use the standardization of subsea equipment, also highlighting that the structure is connected to the existing FPSO CLOV, "allowing oil production at low cost and with fewer emissions, in line with the company's strategy".
