Total E&P Congo announced that the deep offshore Moho-Bilondo field has been brought on stream in the Republic of the Congo, nearly a month ahead of schedule. Discovered in 1995, the field is located nearly 80 kilometres offshore in water depths ranging from 540 to 730 metres and contains estimated reserves of close to 230 million barrels of oil.
The first deep offshore development to be brought on stream in the Congo, the Bilondo and Mobim reservoirs will be produced using nine producing wells and five water injectors in two submarine clusters.
Plateau production is forecast at 90,000 barrels of oil per day. Insulated umbilicals and flowlines will bring the oil to the floating production unit (FPU), from which it will then be exported via a new 16-inch, 80-kilometre pipeline to the Total-operated Djeno onshore terminal.
The project leverages Total’s experience of drilling complex, extended-reach wells. One innovative feature is the use of bottomhole gas injection in a deep offshore project. Despite the complex development plan, the reservoir was brought on stream in a record 33 months after the signature of construction contracts.
In addition, the Moho Marine Nord 1 and 2 wells, drilled in 2007 in the northern part of the license, revealed significant additional resources of good quality oil. New development studies are being launched.
Total E&P Congo (53.5%) operates the license, alongside Chevron Overseas Congo Ltd. (31.5%) and Societe Nationale des Petroles du Congo (15%).
