Oil major BP has begun drilling on the Platina field in Block 18 offshore Angola using Valaris’ DS-12 drillship.

Angola’s National Oil, Gas, and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) said last week that BP started drilling at the Platina field, a project that has been waiting to start with execution for several years.

The initial date for the start of drilling was the middle of 2020 while the final investment decision was announced in December 2018.

The DS-12 will drill four wells – two for production and two for injection – in the development of the Platina field, with the support of two cargo ships, one of them equipped with remote operating vehicles and the other prepared to provide emergency response.

The project has 44 million barrels of oil in estimated reserves, with a projected production rate of 30,000 barrels per day.

ANPG added that “to these numbers are added other relevant ones since BP Angola and the contractor group foresee to reduce costs by 20 per cent, increase the reserves initially estimated by 10 per cent and anticipate the completion of the project in 12 months”.

Paulino Jerónimo, president of ANPG, said: “We must not forget the difficult period that the market and the sector is going through worldwide. And to emphasize the significance that the commitment of the big operators has for Angola and the work that they continue to do.

“BP has been an excellent partner and ANPG will continue to do everything so that the work continues and the results satisfy all parties involved”.

BP Angola’s SVP, Adriano Bastos, added: “The progress of the Platina project reiterates BP’s commitment to Angola and represents a strong contribution to the achievement of the Government’s long-term strategy in the oil and gas sector.

“In addition, we are truly pleased that thanks to the extraordinary work of our teams and the close collaboration with our partner Sinopec (Sonangol Sinopec International), we are managing to move forward with this project very efficiently”.

It is worth noting that the project will be connected to via subsea pipeline to the Greater Plutonio FPSO. Block 18 is located in the Angolan offshore, 160 miles northwest of Luanda. Eight discoveries were made in this block. Galio, Cromio, Cobalto, Paladio, and Plutonio fields make up the first producing development known as Greater Plutonio. Platina, one of the other field in this block, is the next development of this block.

The Greater Plutonio came on-stream in October 2007. Production is based on a 1.75-million-barrel capacity spread-moored FPSO, a subsea production system with intelligent well technology, and water and gas injection wells.

It is worth reminding that TechnipFMC was awarded an integrated engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (iEPCI) contract from BP for the Platina field development back in March 2020.