Sociedade Nacional de Combustíveis de Angola (Sonangol), as the concessionaire, BP Exploration Angola, as the operator, and the partners of Block 31, have started production from the PSVM development area in Block 31, offshore Angola. Initial production comes from 3 production wells in Plutao field and is expected to ramp up to around 70,000 bbl/d of oil. PSVM is expected to build towards plateau rates of 150,000 bbl/d of oil over the coming year with the additional production from Saturno and Venus fields in 2013 and Marte in 2014.
The PSVM development consists of four oil fields – Plutão, Saturno, Vénus and Marte – discovered in 2002-04 in water depths of up to 2,000 metres and is the second BP-operated development in Angola.
PSVM produces through a converted hull, floating, production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) with 1.6 mbl of storage capacity and the first FPSO in Angola ultra-deep water. A total of 40 production, gas and water injection wells will be connected to the FPSO through 15 subsea manifolds and associated subsea equipment.
BP Exploration (Angola) Limited (Block 31) as operator of Block 31 holds 26.67%. The other interest owners in Block 31 are Sonangol EP (25%, concessionaire), Sonangol P&P (20%), Statoil Angola (13.33%), Marathon International Petroleum Angola Block 31 (10%) and SSI 31 (5%).