Work on third FPSO completed; To set sail after formalities

The construction of Ghana’s third floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel for Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) Eni-Ghana has been completed.

The vessel, which is currently in the Jurong Shipyard in Singapore, is expected to set sail after the naming ceremony and the completion of maritime formalities.

This means Ghana will increase its daily production of oil to more than 200,000 barrels per day and also push the country towards improved energy supply as gas from associated and natural gas own-fields such as the OCTP will add 180 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mscf/d).

The vessel

The FPSO, which is 300 metres (985ft) long, has a storage capacity of 1.7 million barrels, a double hull to reduce environmental risks and a treatment capacity of 58,000 barrels of oil per day and condensates.

Critical to the country’s energy sector, the facility, which is expected to arrive in March 2017, also has a processing capacity of 210mscf of non-associated gas daily for power generation.

The multibillion-dollar FPSO and subsea infrastructure, which passes as one of the critical projects for the economy, includes 18 subsea wells which have already been perforated for both oil and gas.

The project, according to the lead operator, Eni-Ghana, complies with the highest environmental standards.

Name/installation

With the first two FPSOs named after former Presidents of Ghana, the lead operator and the other partners, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and Vitol are  waiting for official communication from the government and the sector ministry regarding the name for the ship.

The name, according to the partnership, was important to ensure that maritime formalities would be performed and the “naming ceremony” scheduled for February 1, 2017 would take place before the vessel sets sail for Ghana.

Installation of the submarine facility is expected to begin in early 2017, as all the main contracts have been awarded, including the last one for the construction of the onshore receiving facility (ORF) at Sanzule in the Ellembelle District in the Western Region.

First oil

Eni-Ghana said first oil was expected in August 2017, as per the plan of development, and that it was working to get it sooner than the expected date.

Upon the arrival of the FPSO and subsequent mooring on the field, the subsea installations will be hooked to it for subsequent production of about 45,000 barrels of oil per day.

Due to the unavailability of the onshore-integrated gas reception facility, on which work is ongoing, the associated gas and condensate will be reinjected until the ORF facility is ready.

The ORF at Sanzule has capacity to handle 180 mscf/d. The first gas production is expected in the first quarter of 2018.

The ORF will be hooked onto Ghana Gas’ 111-km lines.