Rig repurposed into MOPU with three gas turbines starts its new lease on life in Africa

Perenco Congo, part of the Perenco Group, has turned the power production switch on at its new mobile offshore production unit (MOPU) offshore Congo, Africa. The MOPU, which used to be an offshore drilling rig before conversion, is expected to assist in valorizing gas resources and curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

According to Dixstone Shipyard Holland, the first step of one of its main 2021-2022 projects was a rig move, entailing the conversion of the Carrus jack-up rig into an accommodation and production unit to support a development offshore Congo. After the rig came to the Sloehaven/Vlissingen-Oost, it was modified at the Holland Shipyards Group yard into a 27 MW power station, renamed Tchendo 2.

Several months ago, Dutch Marine Contractors confirmed that the Tchendo 2 unit was loaded aboard BigLift Shipping’s MV BigLift Baffin heavy lift vessel while berthed at North Sea Port’s Scaldia harbor, leaving Flushing in the Netherlands to move to West Africa.

Perenco sees the start of power production from the Tchendo 2 MOPU as the culmination of its efforts over the years to slash emissions, valorize its gas resources, and achieve energy self-sufficiency. The conversion of the former drilling rig into MOPU included the installation of three gas turbines designed to generate electricity to power operations, ultimately using up to 10 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd).

As a result, the company is convinced that Tchendo 2 brings the benefit of freeing some of the Congolese energy network for local needs at a time of increasing production. With the capacity to generate 27 MW, the three Tchendo 2 gas turbines are perceived to be paving the way for energy independence at the Likouala, Emeraude, and Tchendo, Tchibouella, Tchibouela Est, Tchibeli, and Litanzi fields, as well as certain installations, jointly designated as PNGF Sud.

Stéphane Barc, General Manager of Perenco Congo and Congorep, commented: “By developing the electricity and gas networks, thanks to this important new infrastructure, we are creating the necessary conditions for safer and more sustainable operations, and therefore are improving the development of the fields that we are entrusted to operate.”

According to Perenco, the project will later be completed with the addition of six new wells, strengthening the development of the field and bringing 10 million barrels of additional reserves. The start-up of the Tchendo 2 MOPU comes a month after Perenco’s offshore DRC subsidiary made an oil discovery, which is said to be the first offshore exploration success in Congo in nearly three decades.

Perenco, which is also working on a five-well development drilling campaign at a field off Cameroon, recently disclosed a redevelopment plan for two oil assets in the Campos Basin offshore Brazil.