Angola, one of Africa’s top oil producers, has experienced a decline in production for several years primarily due to the depletion of oil fields, many of which have reached maturity.
State-owned Sonangol is paying particular attention to Block 3/05, located in the Lower Congo Basin. This block, which hosts several offshore deposits, has already extracted a significant portion of its resources.
According to recent data, around 90% of the site’s recoverable reserves have been extracted. However, with average production of 17,000 barrels per day (b/d) by early 2022, the site remains of strategic importance to the country.
To extend the life of these wells and maintain their profitability, Sonangol is implementing an optimisation plan based on targeted investments and improved facility management.
Sonangol’s strategy is based on a number of technical measures designed to improve the efficiency of existing wells.Among the measures implemented, water injection is one of the priorities for maximising oil recovery from aging reservoirs.
This technique, commonly used in mature reservoirs, helps maintain pressure and increase volumes extracted.In addition to water injection, Sonangol plans to install advanced meters to optimise the management of flares, often a source of energy waste.
The installation of submersible electric pumps is also an important part of the strategy.This equipment improves efficiency by facilitating fluid extraction from reservoirs with declining pressure.
In parallel with the optimisation of existing wells, Sonangol is pursuing exploration drilling activities within the perimeter of Block 3/05.The aim is to identify new pockets of oil likely to extend the site’s exploitation.Although a significant proportion of the reserves have already been extracted, drilling could reveal new opportunities.
Long-term prospects remain viable, with an estimated potential of around 100 million barrels of 2P reserves (proven and probable). Sonangol and its partners, including Afentra, Maurel & Prom, Etu Energias and Gazprom, believe that exploitation of these new resources could extend to 2045, subject to successful exploration and optimisation programs.
The optimisation of existing facilities and the search for new resources are part of a broader policy to manage Angola’s oil assets.By strengthening the operational efficiency of mature sites such as Block 3/05, the country hopes to limit the negative effects of an inexorable decline in extracted volumes.
Block 3/05, with its remaining potential and deployed technologies, plays a crucial role in the stabilisation plan. The challenge lies in maintaining production at sustainable levels while keeping operating costs down and ensuring the profitability of operations.
