Pazflor News

Total and its partners have taken the final investment decision to launch the Zinia 2 deep offshore development in Block 17, 150 kilometers offshore Angola. The Zinia 2 project will have a production capacity of 40,000 barrels per day (b/d), sustaining Pazflor field production, on stream since 2011. Zinia 2 is the first of several possible short-cycle developments on Block 17 that will unlock its full potential by connecting satellite reservoirs to the existing floating storage, production and offloading (FPSO) units. “Zinia 2 opens a new chapter in the history of Block 17. This project will allow to extend the profitability of this prolific block, with over 2.6 billion barrels already produced.

Sulzer’s Chemtech division has been granted a license covering the Total-patented Wash Tank Technology for Oil Processing. The main purpose of this technology is to enhance the removal of water, salt and contaminants from oil and emulsions, by a controlled distribution of the feed into the bottom of a hull tank of an FPSO/FSO/FPU which transforms the water-in-oil dispersion into an oil-in-water one where high efficiency phase separation takes place more easily. The technology also involves a simplification of the topsides crude oil process.

Angola is set to export 1.77 million barrels per day of crude oil in January, up from 1.60 mln bpd in December, a provisional shipping list showed on Tuesday. The oil from the OPEC member, and Africa's second largest exporter, will be shipped on 57 vessels, the shipping list showed. Exports of Cabinda, Girassol, Palanca, Saturno, Hungo, and Plutonio were set to be higher in January than December, while Dalia exports were lower. Stronger supply of West African crude oil will put further pressure on crude oil futures prices at a time of ample global supply and fragile demand growth. Traders are awaiting Nigerian crude oil exports lists for January, expected to start emerging this week.

Angolan cargoes for October loading are so far finding buyers slowly, traders said on Friday, while there were further signs that an overhang of September-loading Nigerian cargoes is being absorbed. Most buyers have baulked at the initial offers of Angolan crude, which a trader said were $1 a barrel or so higher than previously traded prices. Business has focused on term cargoes and only one spot trade has come to light. The overhang of September Nigerian cargoes is showing signs of easing as a drop in differentials, contango in the Brent market and wider refinery margins have helped cargoes to find buyers. "Most are now sold," said one. Total sold a cargo of Pazflor, a trader said, in the first known spot trade for October.

West African oil differentials were unchanged on Friday, with traders on the sidelines as they assessed the impact of lower North Sea supply and awaited a clearer outlook for Libyan exports. The supply of North Sea crude that underpins the Brent benchmark will average 774,000 barrels per day (bpd) in May, according to loading schedules provided by trade sources on Friday, down from April. This was seen putting upward pressure on Nigerian differentials because oil from the two regions competes for customers. "We're waiting to see what the offers on the North Sea are like," a trader said. Crude oil futures prices fell earlier this week on hopes that Libyan supply would return. This would pressure West African grades because they are of a similar light, low-sulphur composition.

Experts from the offshore energy industry around the world came together May 6-9 for the 2013 Offshore Technology Conference at Reliant Park in Houston. Attendance at the conference reached a 30-year high of 104,800, the second highest in show history and up 17% from last year. Attendance surpassed the 2012 total of 89,400 and the sold-out exhibition was the largest in show history at 652,185 ft², up from 641,350 ft² in 2012. The event had 2,728 companies representing 40 countries, including 244 new exhibitors in 2013. International companies made up 39% of exhibitors.

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) will present its 2013 Distinguished Achievement Awards on May 5 at the Annual OTC Dinner to Ken Arnold for individual achievement and to Total Exploration and Production for corporate achievement. In addition, the Heritage Award will be presented to E. Dendy Sloan, PhD and James Brill, PhD. The Annual OTC Dinner will take place at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The dinner kicks off the world’s largest conference for offshore development May 6-9 at Reliant Park in Houston. Ken Arnold is being recognized for his outstanding leadership and extensive contributions to the E&P industry. His many…

The awards will be presented on 5, May 2013, at the annual Offshore Technology Conference dinner in Houston, Texas. Ken Arnold is being recognized for his outstanding leadership and extensive contributions to the E&P industry. His many achievements include playing an integral role in the offshore industry’s focus on safety through the development of Recommended Practices for offshore design and safety management; and developing approaches to both equipment sizing and facility project management that are still in use today.

Statoil's third quarter 2011 net operating income was NOK 39.3 billion, a 39% increase compared to NOK 28.2 billion in the third quarter of 2010. "Statoil delivered strong financial results in the third quarter of 2011, reflecting operational performance in line with expectations and strong oil and gas prices throughout the period," says Helge Lund, Statoil's chief executive officer. Statoil presented the long term strategy and long term growth outlook on its capital markets day in June 2011…

Bureau Veritas says continuing pressure on environmental emissions, coupled with rising oil prices, puts a new focus on operational efficiency. Writing in the Bureau Veritas Marine Business Review 2011 Bernard Anne, managing director of BV’s Marine Division said, “Efficiency has to take on a new meaning. To be efficient means more than optimising a ship to burn less fuel when loaded and at its design service speed. It must burn less fuel and cleaner fuel across a wide range of loading conditions and a wide range of speeds. “To be efficient means more than saving fuel, it means burning the right fuel in the right place, making a pathway for the use of gas, nuclear and fuel cell solutions.

LEADING international classification society Bureau Veritas says continuing pressure on environmental emissions, coupled with rising oil prices, puts a new focus on operational efficiency. Writing in the Bureau Veritas Marine Business Review 2011 Bernard Anne, managing director of BV’s Marine Division says, “Efficiency has to take on a new meaning. To be efficient means more than optimising a ship to burn less fuel when loaded and at its design service speed. It must burn less fuel and cleaner fuel across a wide range of loading conditions and a wide range of speeds.

A specialized team lead by Fairmount Marine has completed successfully the tow, mooring and positioning hook-up of the floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO) Pazflor offshore Angola. Earlier Fairmount’s powerful tugs Fairmount Expedition, Fairmount Glacier and Fairmount Alpine have towed FPSO Pazflor from Korea to Angola. After arrival offshore Angola the 30 man team of Fairmount Marine connected the FPSO Pazflor to its moorings, while the three Fairmount tugs together with a fourth, chartered tug have kept the Pazflor in position.