By
2014, oil is expected to be produced for the first time offshore Lagos
State from the Aje gas and condensate field, which lies in Oil Mining
Lease 113 in the Benin Basin, about 43 kilometres offshore Lagos.
The
field is currently in the development planning stage, with first
production expected in 2014, according to the United States Energy
Information Administration’s website.
Aje
field is expected to reach a plateau production of between 50,000 to
80,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day. The water depth in the region is
3,000 feet.
Key shareholders in the field include Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum and Chevron.
Chevron
was appointed as the technical advisor to the operator for the project
and also assigned the responsibility of preparing a development plan for
the field.
The
OML 113 licence covers an area of 960 square kilometres and contains
several prospects, including the Jubilee and Tweneboa fields.
OML
113 was originally known as Oil Operating Licence 309 and was awarded
to YFP in 1991 to encourage the growth of the Nigerian oil industry.
Following the successful discovery of the Aje field, the licence was
converted to OML 113 in 1998 with a term of 20 years.
Aje
was discovered by the Aje-1 well in 1996. The well encountered oil and
gas over three zones of the Cretaceous Turonian age. It flowed at the
rate of 60.2 million standard cubic feet of gas a day; 1,729 barrels of
condensate a day; and 2,389 barrels of oil a day.
In
1997 an appraisal well, Aje-2, was drilled one kilometre east of the
Aje-1 well. It confirmed the presence of oil and gas in the Turonian
reservoir as discovered by the Aje-1 well and encountered a deeper
separate additional zone of the Cenomanian formation.
A
third well, Aje-3, was drilled by Transocean’s Sedco 709
semi-submersible rig in 2005. Although the reservoir quality was not
optimum, the well encountered an oil and gas bearing column within the
Turonian and Cenomanian reservoirs.
In
the first quarter of 2008, another appraisal well called Aje-4 was
drilled by the Transocean Deepwater Pathfinder drill-ship to carry out a
complete appraisal of the field. Aje-4 well was drilled to assess the
extent of the field and identify additional exploration targets. The
well encountered hydrocarbon reserves in the main Turonian reservoir.
Drilling
of the Aje-4 well confirmed the field contains a laterally extensive
reservoir structure. The field was declared a commercial prospect in
February 2009.
Appraisal of the field was based on 915km of 2D seismic data, 700km2 of 3D seismic data and an electromagnetic survey.
Aje
is primarily a gas condensate field formed in a four-way dip closure
trap. It contains gas and oil in the Turonian and Cenomanian reservoirs
and an additional gas layer of the Albian formation.
Gross
contingent resources of the Aje field are estimated at 380 million boe.
Of this 28 per cent is oil/condensate, 20 per cent is Liquefied
Petroleum Gas and 52 per cent is gas.
The field is planned to be developed as a subsea tie back to a floating, production, storage and offloading vessel.
A
total of six producers are planned for the field. They will be
connected to sub sea wellheads and associated flowlines and manifolds in
320-feet water depth. The flowlines will, in turn, be connected to the
FPSO through risers.
Produced
hydrocarbons will be processed by the FPSO and exported through the
West African Gas Pipeline or through a direct pipeline to connect to the
Lagos gas infrastructure.
Source: Punch Newspaper
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