Chevron subsidiary Chevron Overseas (Congo) has started oil and gas production from the $2 billion Lianzi development field located in a unitized offshore zone between the Republic of Congo and the Republic of Angola.
Located 65 miles (105 km) offshore in approximately 3,000 feet (900 meters) of water, the cross-border project is estimated have an average production capacity of 40,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
Estimated to hold proven reserves of 70 million barrels of oil, the field represents the company’s first operated asset in Congo and the first cross-border oil development project offshore Central Africa.
Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production Company president Ali Moshiri said: “As the first offshore energy development spanning national boundaries in the Central Africa region, Lianzi represents a unique cooperative approach to share offshore resources and may serve as a model for the development of similar cross-border fields between two countries.”
Chevron operates the field with 31.25 % stake while other partners include Total E&P Congo with 26.75% interest, the Republic of Congo National Oil Company (SNPC) with 7.5% stake, and GALP with 4.5% equity. Additionally, Angola Block 14 BV, Eni and Sonangol P&P hold10% stake each in the project.
The Lianzi development project involves a subsea production system and a 43km-long electrically heated flowline system, which uses a Direct Electrical Heating (DEH) system to ensure fluid flow under a wide range of conditions.
The subsea production system includes three subsea production wells and three water injection wells, including an additional subsea production well and subsea water injection well each.
Oil produced from the field is transported to the existing Benguela Belize Lobito Tomboco (BBLT) host platform located in Angola Block 14