The operator of Block 17 in Angola, French oil and gas group, Total, and the Angolan National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency have announced the start of production from the Zinia Phase 2 short-cycle project, connected to the existing Pazflor’s FPSO (Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading unit).

Located in water depths from 600 to 1,200 meters and about 150 kilometres from the Angolan coast, the resources at Zinia are estimated at 65 million barrels of oil. The project includes the drilling of nine (9) wells expected to reach a production of 40,000 barrels of oil per day by mid-2022.

The development of the project was carried out according to schedule and for a CAPEX more than 10% below budget, representing a saving of 150 million dollars. It involved more than three (3) million manhours of work, of which two (2) million were performed in Angola, without any incident.

The President, Africa, Exploration and Production, Total, Nicolas Terraz, said: “The successful start-up of this project, despite the challenges that have arisen as a result of the pandemic, demonstrates Total’s commitment to ensure a sustainable output on Block 17, for which the production license was recently extended until 2045. Zinia Phase 2 project reflects the quality of short cycle projects in Angola with high return on investment”

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency, Paulino Jerónimo, said: “Zinia Phase 2 is a key project for Angola that comes at the right time to sustain the production of the country. We welcome our collaboration with Total in Angola, that keeps investing with its partners in the development of the country oil resources.”

Block 17 is operated by Total with a 38% stake, alongside with Equinor (22.16%), ExxonMobil (19%), BP Exploration Angola (15.84%) and Sonangol P&P (5%). The contractor group operates four FPSOs in the main production areas of the block, namely Girassol, Dalia, Pazflor and CLOV.