MAN furnishing FPSO destined for oilfield project off Angola with compressor trains

German engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions has been hired by Malaysia’s Yinson to supply a total of 11 compressor trains for an FPSO vessel, which will be deployed at an oilfield project off the Angolan coast.

According to MAN Energy Solutions, Yinson has placed an order for the delivery of nine centrifugal compressor trains for gas production, gas injection as well as gas lift and export along with the supply of two screw-compressor trains to be used as low pressure (LP) compression units. Therefore, 11 compressor trains will be deployed aboard an FPSO operated by Azule Energy, which is Angola’s largest independent equity oil and gas producer, and a 50/50 joint venture between BP and Eni.

The FPSO will be located in the Agogo field, about 180 kilometres west off the coast of Angola. Discovered in 2019, the field lies in Block 15/06 at a water depth of approximately 1,650 metres where two FPSO vessels currently already operate. Once ready for service, the third FPSO will have a daily production capacity of up to 120,000 barrels of oil equivalent.

The Agogo deepwater greenfield development is situated about 20 kilometres west of the N’Goma FPSO (West Hub), which has been in operation since November 2014. Yinson won a contract in February 2023 to deliver the FPSO for this project while Aker Solutions was picked to provide the umbilicals, and Subsea 7 for the transport and installation of flexible pipes, umbilicals, and associated subsea structures. Baker Hughes is in charge of delivering subsea equipment and services and TechnipFMC will supply risers and flowlines.

MAN Energy Solutions’ scope of supply for the FPSO Agogo‘s gas lift, injection, and export application comprises nine electrically-driven centrifugal-compression trains to maximise the gas production’s flow rate and efficiency. To this end, the firm will deploy three trains with type RB 45 compressors as medium-pressure systems, three trains with type RB 35 compressors as high-pressure units, and three trains with two type RB 28 compressors each as high-pressure and gas injection units.

Furthermore, the two electrically-driven SKUEL510 screw-compressor trains will be used as LP compression units and the resulting flash gas will be pressurised by the screw compressors and fed back into the process instead of being flared off. MAN Energy Solutions claims that this process will lead to more efficient gas production and significantly reduce CO₂ emissions. All compressor trains are slated to be ready for installation in 2024.

Basil Zweifel, Senior Vice President, Sales & Project Management at MAN Energy Solutions, commented: “MAN Energy Solutions is very much looking forward to working with Yinson on this large-scale project for Angola’s growing energy market in which we will play an active role by providing our technology and expertise.

“Our state-of-the-art compression solutions are mature technology that have proven their reliability and energy efficiency in numerous FPSO projects around the globe in recent years. With this new order from Yinson, we will once again provide all complete compressor technology equipment from a single source.”

Yinson also ordered in July 2022 five centrifugal compressor trains for gas production and export, and two screw compressor trains from MAN Energy Solutions for the FPSO Maria Quitéria.

This FPSO is destined to work at the Parque das Baleias Integrated Project, located at the Petrobras-operated  Jubarte field in the northern Campos Basin, around 80 kilometres off the coast of Anchieta, Espírito Santo, Brazil.