Project Profile
Location: Calabar River, Nigeria
Start-up Year: March 1999
Peak production: 30,000 bpd (2001)
Current production: 5,000 bpd (November, 2015)
Water depth: 4.8m (7.6m deep at high tide)
Abana lies on Block OML 114, at the mouth of the Calabar River in Nigeria, in water 4.8m deep (7.6m deep at high tide). It was discovered by two exploration wells, drilled as part of a four-well programme. The first encountered a 50ft oil column beneath a gas cap. The second, drilled 3km along the strike, intersected a 56ft oil column.
The flexible development plan envisaged production from horizontal wells, drilled from two surface locations. A process facility delivering fully stabilised crude oil for export was to be attached to one of the clusters. Expro was contracted to procure a newly constructed dumb barge and convert it into a moored floating production facility. The boat departed from Shanghai on a voyage via Singapore, through the Suez Canal, to Great Yarmouth. The field is operated by Moni Pulo. Development on the field began in 1997 and the first oil from the field was produced in March 1999.
In 2007, production from the field declined by 32% from 2.42mmbbl to 1.62mmbbl. This was due to a rupture in the export pipeline in December 2006. Production was shutdown for three months due to the rupture and was resumed in March 2007.
Production wells:
Nine horizontal production wells and two deviated water-injection wells have been drilled and tested from three surface cluster locations. The use of batch drilling methods resulted in the saving of US$11m. Of the 86,000ft drilled by these wells, in excess of 23,200ft was drilled horizontally. Of the nine pilot holes drilled, five were from the Abana East cluster and four from Abana West. The entire project, which required the installation of a complete production infrastructure, was executed within 13 months of the contract being awarded. In 2005, TransAtlantic Energy Solutions completed Phase IV drilling of the field. The company drilled one exploration well and five horizontal development wells. The project increased production at the field from 8,000 to 10,000bbls/d.
The northern area is in its exploration phase and 2-D and 3-D seismic data was acquired in 2011.
Operators:
Moni Pulo: Operator with a 100% interest
Contractors:
Expro: Procurement of dumb barge and conversion into a moored floating production facility
TransAtlantic Energy Solutions: Drilling services