In a statement sent to VerAngola, the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency said that Somoil, "as operator of the FS and FST associations, located onshore in the Congo Basin, in Zaire province, has hired the FALCON 1000HP drilling rig, model DR-1000, in order to meet its strategic objective of increasing the productivity of its oil exploration by 50 percent".
According to the note, the rig's program of activities covers the next three years. In the program, highlights include "the re-development plan of the FS and FST associations, which includes the drilling of new oil wells, especially in the Pinda reservoir, to allow for increased production and, simultaneously, increased reserves."
In addition, the rig will also be used to "drill onshore exploration wells."
"This Somoil acquisition also has indirect benefits, such as the creation of new jobs, increased professional qualification of Angolan staff through the transfer of know-how and the hiring of local companies that provide services to the oil sector", the statement said.
Quoted in the statement, Edson dos Santos, chairman of Somoil's executive committee, said that hiring the rig will "mitigate the decline in production in the FS and FST associations" as well as "ensure an increase in production of at least 30 percent by 2024".
The responsible also took the opportunity to praise the work done so far, stating that without it it would not be possible to carry out this operation "in such a short time and in such a safe manner".
Paulino Jerónimo, president of ANPG, considered that this contract "comes at a good time, since part of the work of the national concessionaire with the operators has been focused on efforts to prevent the decline of production".
