Azule Energy, the joint venture between bp and Eni, has produced first oil from the Agogo FPSO offshore Angola. The platform is part of the Agogo Integrated West Hub (IWH) in Block 15/06, which involves development of the Agogo and Ndungu fields with combined reserves estimated at 450 MMbbl. At peak production, these fields should produce 175,000 b/d.

Agogo FPSO Operations and Timeline

The Agogo IWH project went onstream 29 months after sanction in February 2023. The partners adopted a phased approach that enabled development in parallel with the appraisal campaign to help de-risk the full-field development. This involved cooperation between reservoir, engineering and procurement teams.

Yinson Production is operating the FPSO Agogo on behalf of the joint venture. The platform departed the Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry shipyard in China at the end of February, making a brief stop en route at Namibia for a crew change.

Production duties are shared with the Ngoma FPSO, which has done service on the West Hub since 2015, after being converted by SBM Offshore from the FPSO Xikomba.

Environmental Features and Technology

Azule describes the Agogo FPSO as uniquely "green," with all topsides and marine systems designed to be fully electric. The platform features combined cycle power generation and a pilot Carbon Capture and Utilisation/Storage (CCUS) system to recover associated CO2 volumes, making it the first FPSO offshore Angola from which operational carbon emissions are fully offset.

The project represents the first oil from a new FPSO in Angola since ANPG was established as the new National Concessionaire in 2019, as well as being Azule Energy's first major development to go online since the joint venture was established in 2022. Other partners include Sonangol E&P and Sinopec International.

Gajajeira Gas Discovery

Earlier this month, the Azule-led Block 1/14 partnership announced a gas discovery via the Gajajeira-01 exploration well in the offshore Lower Congo basin. The well was spudded on April 1 in 95 m water depth, 60 km from the mainland.

The well encountered gas- and condensate-bearing sandstones in the LO100 Lower Oligocene target. Initial analysis of the results and fluid samples suggests various reservoirs with good mobility, with potential in-place gas of over 1 Tcf and up to 100 MMbbl of associated condensate.

These findings have confirmed the presence of a working hydrocarbon system and opened up further exploration opportunities in the area. Azule and its partners will continue to assess the find's potential and will look to determine an optimal development strategy.

Exploration Significance and Future Plans

CEO Adriano Mongin pointed out that Gajajeira-01 is Angola's first dedicated gas exploration well. Drilling continues, with the next target being the last Lower Oligocene interval LO300.

The discovery represents a significant milestone for Angola's offshore energy sector, particularly in the Lower Congo basin where the exploration well was located. The combination of gas and associated condensate resources identified in the initial analysis indicates substantial hydrocarbon potential in the area.

The successful startup of the Agogo FPSO and the gas discovery at Gajajeira demonstrate Azule Energy's expanding operations in Angolan waters, with the joint venture between bp and Eni continuing to develop multiple projects across different blocks offshore Angola.