VIDEO: First oil flows from TEN project off Ghana

Independent oil exploration and production company Tullow Oil plc has informed that first oil has flowed from the Tweneboa, Enyenra, Ntomme (TEN) fields offshore Ghana, to the FPSO Prof. John Evans Atta Mills.

The FPSO is moored around sixty kilometers offshore Western Ghana at a water depth averaging 1,500 meters.

The charter contract for the MODEC-owned FPSO initially runs for ten years, with options for an extension every year thereafter up to ten additional years.

As Offshore Energy Today reported on Wednesday, first oil production from the project was expected on Thursday, August 18.

Tullow said early on Thursday that first oil has been reached on time and on budget three years after the Plan of Development was approved by the Government of Ghana in May 2013.

The TEN start-up process is now well advanced and Tullow expects oil production to ramp-up gradually towards the FPSO capacity of 80,000 bopd through the remainder of 2016.

Tullow estimates that TEN average annualized production in 2016 will be approximately 23,000 bopd gross (net: 11,000 bopd).

Tullow is the operator of the TEN fields and holds a 47.175% stake. Tullow’s joint venture partners are Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (17%), Kosmos Energy (17%), Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (15%) and PetroSA (3.875%).

Aidan Heavey, CEO of Tullow Oil plc, commented today:“I am delighted that the TEN fields have reached first oil. This is an important moment for Tullow as production begins from our second operated development in Ghana. I thank the Government of Ghana, the Petroleum Commission and our partners – GNPC, Anadarko, Kosmos and PetroSA – for their support and co-operation since we made the first discovery in 2009.

“I also congratulate the project team, our contractors and sub-contractors for delivering this project on time and on budget and with great skill and professionalism and commend them for their commitment to the participation of Ghanaian staff and companies in the project.”