Oslo: Panoro Energy has announced that Saipem has been awarded a contract to carry out a drilling and completion project offshore Nigeria for the Aje Field Cenomanian oil development.
Aje is located in the Dahomey Basin at the border with Benin about 24km from the coast, with first oil due in December. Panoro Energy holds a participating interest in the field, along with Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum, New Age, FHN, Energy Equity Resources, and Jacka Resources.
Saipem will utilise the Scarabeo 3 semi-submersible rig, which is currently stationed offshore Lagos. The rig will be moved to the Aje drilling location and will be used to carry out well operations for the first phase of the oil field development that includes two subsea production wells. Once well operations have been completed, subsea equipment will be installed and the wells will be tied back to the Front Puffin FPSO, currently undergoing refurbishment in Singapore.
John Hamilton, Panoro Energy’s ceo, commented, “Panoro is very pleased to be entering into the rig contract for the drilling and completion of the Aje development wells. We have been able to achieve a lower rig rate than was expected when the Final Investment Decision was made in October 2014”.
