SBM Offshore has received a formal production readiness notice (PRN) for the N'Goma FPSO vessel from client Eni, operator of Block 15/06, on behalf of the joint venture (JV) which includes Sonangol Pesquisa e Producao, SSI Fifteen Ltd. and Falcon Oil Holding Angola SA, a news release said.
Following successful first oil in November 2014 and completion of the 72-hour continuous production test in early December 2014, PRN goes into effect retroactively to Nov. 28, 2014 and the vessel is on hire from that date onward, SBM said in the release. The FPSO vessel will operate under a 12-year lease and operate contract with Eni Angola on Block 15/06, West Hub, offshore Angola.
The vessel is owned by Sonasing and operated by OPS, a JV company formed by SBM Offshore (50%) and Sonangol (50%).
The vessel was previously on hire as FPSO vessel Xikomba and was disconnected in 2011 from Block 15 offshore Angola after concluding eight years of operations, the release said. SBM Offshore converted Xikomba, renaming it N'Goma, at the Keppel shipyard in Singapore before the vessel set sail for the Paenal yard in Angola where it completed the final scope of work on time.
The vessel has 100,000 bbl/d of oil processing capacity, 115 MMscf/d of gas-handling capacity and water injection capacity of 120,000 bbl/d, according to the release.