French oil major Total considering drillship for Nigeria’s OML 30

French oil major Total is watching out for a deepwater drillship for a 2020 drilling campaign in the OML 130 block offshore Nigeria with drilling activity scheduled to begin during the third quarter of 2020, an Oslo-based media firm Upstream has reported

Documents shared on the Nigerian Petroleum Exchange (NIPEX) showed Total Upstream Nigeria Limited has invited interested offshore drilling contractors to apply for a consideration to tender for the supply of a drillship for OML 130 project offshore Nigeria.

OML 130 is located in the deepwater Niger Delta adjacent to the Nigeria Sao-Tome Joint Development Zone. The block contains the onstream Akpo gas-condensate field of 180,000 barrels per day, Egina’s with 200,000bpd which is under development, and the undeveloped Preowei field with 70,000 boepd.

Initially discovered in 2003, the Egina field is the second development in production on OML 130 following the Akpo field, which started-up in 2009. The Preowei field is another large discovery made on this prolific block for which an investment decision is scheduled for 2019.

The tender documentation noted that the drilling campaign is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2020. The initial contract duration would be for one year, with the possibility to extend by up to three periods of one year each.

Norwegian media firm intelligence report gathered Total is looking for a DP3 class, minimum 5th Generation Dual Derrick Drillship, with ability to drill both derricks and efficiently perform the full dual activity. The rig will be used to perform drilling, completion, workover and intervention operations OML130 block in water depths from 1100m – 1700m and drilling depth up to 6500m.

A pre-qualification exercise has begun, and responses must be submitted to Total Upstream Nigeria offices by 7 June. Pre-qualification documentation did not identify exactly why the rig is needed, but Total wants the unit to start work in the third quarter of 2020 under a one-year contract, with

Total’s CEO Patrick Pouyanne earlier this month paid a visit to Nigeria where he restated the firms’ commitment to the long term development of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and the improvement of the lives of Nigerians through the provision of clean, affordable energy.

While reviewing the Total Group’s over 60 year presence in Nigeria, Pouyanne expressed delight at the recent launch of the Egina field which at peak will add 200,000 barrels of oil per day to Nigeria’s production. In addition, the Egina Project is a Nigerian content landmark which has become a game changer in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

The CEO further stated that “Nigeria is important to the Total Group as the country now represents about 10percent of the Group’s global production. Nigeria has a lot of prolific oil fields and Total would gladly carry out exploration activities if the government grants the licence”.

Total E&P Nigeria Limited (“TEPNG”), an affiliate of TOTAL has operated in the upstream sector of the Nigerian hydrocarbon industry for more than 50 years and has added over 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent to Nigeria’s production to date.