Woodside Energy Group has drawn first oil from the $4.9-$5.2bn phase 1 of the offshore Sangomar field (formerly the SNE field) in Senegal.
The milestone represents the safe delivery of the first offshore oil project in the West African country, said Woodside.
Situated approximately 100km south of Dakar, the Sangomar field development phase 1 is a deepwater project. It features a stand-alone floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) facility dubbed Léopold Sédar Senghor, which boasts of a nameplate capacity of 100,000 barrels per day.
The Léopold Sédar Senghor FPSO, which is a converted very large crude carrier, can store up to 1,300,000 barrels.
The project also includes subsea infrastructure designed to facilitate subsequent development phases. This initial phase is primarily dedicated to the development of less complex reservoir units and the evaluation of other reservoirs to support gas export to shore.
Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill said: “First oil from the Sangomar field is a key milestone and reflects delivery against our strategy. The Sangomar project is expected to generate shareholder value within the terms of the production sharing contract.
“Delivering Senegal’s first offshore oil project safely, through a period of unprecedented global challenge, demonstrates Woodside’s world-class project execution capability.”
Woodside has an operating stake of 82% in phase 1 of the Sangomar field. It is partnered with Senegal’s domestic oil and gas company PETROSEN, which owns the remaining stake of 18%.
Their joint venture, Rufisque Offshore, Sangomar Offshore and Sangomar Deep Offshore (RSSD), is drilling 23 wells as part of the phase 1 development. This includes 11 production wells, 10 water injection wells, and two gas injection wells.
So far, 21 wells have been drilled and completed, of which nine are production wells.
PETROSEN E&P general manager Thierno Ly said: “First oil from the Sangomar field marks a new era not only for our country’s industry and economy, but most importantly for our people.
“This achievement is the result of the unwavering commitment of our teams, who have worked diligently to overcome challenges and meet our strategic objectives in a complex and demanding environment.”
