Angola's Block 17 has proven prolific for partners in the offshore license, with Girassol and Dalia already producing, Pazflor in development, and the CLOV project in consideration. Located approximately 90 miles (150 kilometers) offshore Angola in ultra-deep waters, the Pazflor project incorporates four fields -- Perpetua, Zinia, Acacia and Hortensia -- spanning 148,263 acres (600 square kilometers) on the eastern edge of Block 17.

Total's Angolan subsidiary, Total E&P Angola, is the operator of Angolan Block 17 with a 40% interest. Partners in the license include Statoil with 23.33% interest, Esso Exploration Angola with 20% interest and BP Exploration Angola with 16.67% interest.

Fields

First of the Pazflor cluster to be discovered, and the 10th field discovered on Block 17, Perpetua is located about 124 miles (200 kilometers) northwest of Luanda in 2,608-foot-deep (795-meter-deep) water. The Perpetua-1 exploration well discovered the field in August 2000, showing a daily flow rate of 8,740 bopd of 20-degree API in production tests.

Discovered in December 2002, the Zinia field was the 13th field encountered on Block 17 and the second of the Pazflor project. Located 90 miles (150 kilometers) from the Angolan coast, Zinia is situated in a water depth of 2,356 feet (718 meters). Also on the eastern portion of the license, the Zinia-1 well tested a flow rate of 3,650 bopd.

The discovery of the next two fields made the Pazflor project a commercial viability. The Acacia discovery followed in the spring of 2003 in water measuring 3,379 feet (1,030 meters). The Acacia-1 discovery well tested a combined 13,712 bopd from two separate zones, including Oligocene. The last to be discovered of the four eastern Block 17 fields, Hortensia is located 6 miles (10 kilometers) north of the Acacia field in waters measuring 2,723 feet (830 meters) deep. Tested at 5,092 bopd, the Hortensia-1 well was also discovered in the spring of 2003.

Field Development

Gathering oil from all four fields and water depths ranging from 2,000 feet (600 meters) to 4,000 feet (1,200 meters), the Pazflor integrated field development will link subsea wells through subsea production lines, injection lines and risers to an FPSO.

Approved by authorities in late 2007, field development calls for drilling to commence in 2009 and facility installations to commence in 2010. Pazflor production will begin in 2011, bringing production rates for Block 17 to 700,000 bopd.

With slots for 49 subsea wells, the FPSO will boast a daily processing capacity of 200,000 barrels of oil and 150 MMcf/d of gas and a storage capacity of 1.9 million barrels of oil. Additionally, the vessel will be able to process two very different types of oil: Miocene, which is found at Perpetua, Hortensia and Zinia; and Oliocene, which is located at Acacia. The topside will be able to accommodate an additional 21 wells and house a separation unit. Spread-moored in 2,500 feet (762 meters) of water, the FPSO will have a 20-year design life and be able to house up to 220 personnel.

Pazflor partners tapped Daewood Shipbuilding to provide the engineering, procurement and fabrication for the FPSO moorings, hull and topsides; and Daewoo awarded a number of subcontracts on the massive project. KBR was chosen to provide topsides engineering, procurement and interface design for the Pazflor FPSO. Dresser-Rand was awarded the $44 million contract to provide the turbomachinery for the FPSO, including four gas compression packages.

Aker Solutions was awarded the contract from Daewoo for the design and supply of the on-vessel mooring system made of eccentric fairlead chain stoppers. BW won the $100 million contract to engineer, procure, construct and install the buoy turret loading system and associated mooring equipment.

The subsea development includes 25 production wells, 22 water injecting wells and two gas injecting wells, as well as the West Africa's first-ever subsea gas/liquid separation system. Targeting two different reservoirs, the field development will recover heavier oil from Miocene reservoirs at a water depth of 1,969 to 2,953 feet (600 to 900 meters) and a lighter oil from Oligocene reservoirs at a water depth of 3,281 to 3,937 feet (1,000 to 1,200 meters).

In January 2008, FMC was awarded the $980 million contract to supply the subsea processing and production systems for Pazflor. The supply scope includes three gas-liquid separation systems, 49 subsea trees and wellhead systems, three four-slot production manifolds, production control and umbilical distribution systems, and gas export and flowline connection systems.

FMC Technologies subcontracted to Tracerco in August 2008, awarding the company the contract for the subsea separation boosting and injection systems. FMC also tapped Oceaneering to supply and install 7.3 miles (11,800 meters) of umbilicals to provide electrical power to the subsea pumps and separation systems. In October, FMC subcontracted to Grenland Group to deliver subsea structures, including 12 utility distribution modules and the materials for the three production manifolds and foundation structures.

Additionally, Pazflor partners awarded a Technip/Acergy consortium the $1.86 billion subsea development contract in January 2008. Under the agreement, for $1.16 billion, Technip will provide engineering, procurement, fabrication and installation of more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) of production and water injection rigid flowlines, conventional flexible risers and integration production bundle risers, as well as the engineering, procurement and construction of more than 37 miles (60 kilometers) of umbilicals. For $700 million, Acergy will engineer, procure, fabricate and install 34 miles (55 kilometers) of water and gas injection lines, gas export lines, and umbilicals, as well as more than 20 rigid jumpers. Acergy will also install the subsea manifolds, separation units and associated umbilicals, and the FPSO mooring lines.

In December 2007, while still under construction, Saipem's 12000 ultra-deepwater drillship was contracted for five years of drilling on Pazflor with an option for an additional two years.