E&P Highlights: July 10, 2024

From OneSubsea securing a contract offshore Angola to MODEC upgrading its drone technology, below is a compilation of the latest headlines in the E&P space.

Activity headlines

TotalEnergies Set to Leave its Discoveries Offshore South Africa

TotalEnergies plans to exit its gas-condensate finds off the South African coast to focus on exploration opportunities closer to Namibia, Bloomberg reported July 2.

TotalEnergies made promising discoveries at the Brulpadda and Luiperd fields in 2019 and 2020, but neither has progressed toward development. The decision to relinquish the Block 11B/12B license comes amid doubts over the commercial viability of these complex deepwater finds, considering South Africa’s relatively small gas market, the sources said.

TotalEnergies is now setting its sights on the Orange Basin, where promising oil discoveries have been made near Namibia. In March, the company expanded its presence in the region by acquiring a stake in Block 3B/4B offshore the South African region of the Orange Basin. TotalEnergies is concurrently developing a first oil project in Namibian waters. 

CNR International (South Africa) has also announced its withdrawal from a 20% interest in Block 11B/12B. Africa Energy, holding a 10% stake, has confirmed its commitment to the block. 

Contracts and company news

SLB, OneSubsea Win Contract for Total’s Kaminho Deepwater Project

TotalEnergies has been awarded a contract for the Kaminho deepwater project offshore Angola OneSubsea, a joint venture between SLB, Aker Solutions and Subsea7, the company said on July 3.

The contract scope includes 13 wellsets and associated equipment and services for the Kaminhod development. The project will be developed in two phases for the Cameia and Golfinho discoveries by TotalEnergies and Block 20/11 partners Petronas and Sonangol.

During the project’s first phase of development for the Cameia Field, OneSubsea will collaborate with TotalEnergies to deploy a subsea production platform with a standardized vertical monobore subsea tree, wellhead and controls system.  First production is targeted for 2028, with an estimated 70,000 bbl/d of oil.

TotalEnergies operates Block 20/11 with a 40% ownership stake. Petronas holds a 40% interest and Sonangol 20%.

Petronas Awards ABL Contract for Rig Inspection Services 

Malaysian national oil company Petronas has awarded Norwegian consultancy group ABL with a contract for rig inspection services across its offshore assets in Indonesia.

The scope of the one-year contract, which has an optional one-year extension, includes the provision of rig assurance, technical risk assessments, equipment-focused inspections, drilling readiness peer reviews and client representation.

The contract follows Petronas’ recent agreements for developments in the area. In late June, Petronas signed a production sharing contract with Vestigo Petroleum for the NBE Cluster off offshore the state of Sabah. In May, Petronas Suriname E&P, a subsidiary of the company, made a hydrocarbon discovery at the Fusaea-1 well in Block 52 offshore Suriname.

ABL’s Indonesian team, based in Jakarta, will oversee the project, supported by its new office in Batam.

HBC Group Orders Saab’s ROV for Offshore Inspection

Offshore inspection company HBC Group has purchased Saab Seaeye's Cougar-XTi ROV, Saab announced July 2.

The Cougar-XTi is an electric ROV depth-rated to 2000 m. The ROV is fitted with six 500-volt DC thrusters that provide thrust to stabilize vehicle operations in high current environments.  The versatility of the Cougar-XTi extends to carrying specialized tools for hydrographics and geophysical services, Saab said. HBC Group utilizes PMAC Group’s system for cathodic protection measurements, and the manipulator arms play a crucial role in non-destructive testing.

HBC plans to use the vessels to transport survey equipment too large for HBC Group’s existing ROVs. HBC also plans to deploy the Cougar-XTi for daily inspections, allowing them to bid on tenders that were previously inaccessible due to payload constraints.

MODEC, Terra Deploy Advanced Drones for Offshore Platform Inspections

MODEC and Terra Drone Corp. have entered into a joint research and development agreement to enhance inspection drones for FPSOs, MODEC announced July 1. This agreement follows the memorandum of understanding signed by both companies late 2023.

MODEC and Terra Drone have engaged in extensive technical discussions with the goal of replacing manual inspections of crude oil storage tanks with drones. By innovating drone inspection techniques, MODEC and Terra Drone aim to triple inspection efficiency and reduce inspection costs. Through this partnership, the companies hope to deploy this drone inspection technology not only on MODEC-operated FPSOs but throughout the industry to address shared challenges related to occupational safety and manpower reduction in offshore platform operations.

Since November 2023, MODEC has utilized Terra’s drone technology to measure the hull thickness of crude oil storage tanks of FPSOs operating in Brazil. The drones have yielded a safer inspection process by reducing the need for workers at dangerous heights.