Woodside Energy, an Australian oil and gas company, aims to achieve its first oil production from the Sangomar offshore project in Senegal by the middle of this year. The FPSO, named Léopold Sédar Senghor, has recently left Singapore, marking a significant milestone for the project. Situated approximately 50 nautical miles south of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, the Sangomar field represents the nation’s inaugural venture into offshore oil development.
The FPSO, a former VLCC converted by Japanese operator Modec, is sailing 12,000 nautical miles to the site.
Senegal is fast emerging as a major hydrocarbon-producing nation. Since 2014, exploratory efforts have turned up more than one billion barrels of oil and 120 trillion cubic feet of natural gas offshore. The country expects to earn $1.4 billion in revenues over the next two years, based on a benchmark price of $90 per barrel from the Sangomar offshore field and BP’s Greater Tortue Ahmeyim gas project.
The FPSO, formerly the VLCC Astipal, has been undergoing conversion over the past three years. Built in 2001, Astipal was acquired by Modec in 2020 before sailing to China for the conversion. The hull and marine works, external turret, and topside module installation and conversion work were completed by COSCO Shipyard.
The FPSO then sailed to Seatrium in Singapore. The recently merged) yard’s scope of work included topside integration as well as support for onshore commissioning.
The sailing of the FPSO is another step forward for the Sangomar project, which is now on course for the first oil in mid-2024. The FPSO will be capable of processing 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day, 130 million cubic feet of gas per day, 145,000 barrels of water injection per day, and will have a minimum storage capacity of 1.3 million barrels of crude oil.
“Sangomar is Senegal’s first offshore oil development, and we remain committed to working with the government of Senegal and local communities to ensure that the benefits from our investments are felt broadly across the country,” said Meg O’Neill, Woodside CEO.
Modec said the conversion of the FPSO was a demanding project in terms of both technical and execution complexity, with the challenges compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Modec has successfully delivered its fifth FPSO, the Léopold Sédar Senghor, to West Africa. With over 30 years of operational expertise in the region, the company presently manages two FPSOs in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire……. summarize this text for a linkedin post .. focus on the oil and make it professional.
