First cross-border project in Central Africa comes onstream

Chevron has commenced oil and gas production from the Lianzi field, located in a unitised offshore zone between the Republic of Congo and the Republic of Angola. Located 105 km offshore in approximately 900 metres of water, Lianzi is Chevron’s first operated asset in the Republic of Congo and the first cross-border oil development project offshore Central Africa. The project is expected to produce an average of 40,000 b/d of oil.

‘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,’ according to Ali Moshiri, President of Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production Company.

The field, discovered in 2004, includes a subsea production system and a 43-km electrically heated flowline system – reportedly the first of its kind at this water depth. The system transports the oil from the field to the Benguela Belize–Lobito Tomboco platform (pictured) in Angola’s block 14 and utilises a direct electrical heating (DEH) system to ensure fluid flow under a wide range of conditions.

Chevron Overseas (Congo) is operator of the Lianzi field and has a 15.75% interest, along with its affiliate Cabinda Gulf Oil Company (15.5%), Total E&P Congo (26.75%), Angola Block 14 (10%), Eni (10%), Sonangol P&P (10%), SNPC (the Republic of Congo National Oil Company; 7.5%), and GALP (4.5%).

Image: Benguela Belize-Lobito Tomboco platform