Total hires Norco for work on four FPSOs off Angola

Angolan arm of French oil major Total has awarded a maintenance contract to energy storage equipment manufacturer and service provider Norco Group for work on several floating production, storage, and offloading facilities (FPSOs).

Norco said on Thursday that the maintenance contract was awarded by Total E&P Angola. Under the deal, the company will support uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems and standby battery equipment on Total’s assets in offshore Block 17.

According to the company, the contract is for three years with an optional two-year extension. The contract will see Norco provide preventative maintenance as well as emergency fault response on the Dalia, Girassol, Pazflor, and CLOV FPSOs.

Norco added that this latest award comes on the back of similar agreements with major operators in Ghana and Equatorial Guinea and would run alongside an existing contract with Total E&P UK.

Finbar Kelly, commercial and contracts manager at Norco, said: “We’re delighted to be able to put pen to paper on this after some serious work behind the scenes. It’s our biggest strategic step thus far into offshore West Africa, and now we’re all focussed on delivering what we’ve agreed with Total”.

John Roy, Norco’s director, added: “It’s a testament to the work of the international development team as well as the engineers who have serviced the contract with Total in the UK that we’ve been also now selected to work with them in Angola.

“I’m sure there will be logistical challenges in the current climate but we’re looking forward to proving we’re up to the task”.

As for Block 17, Total first moved there in 1997. Located off the coast of Angola, nearly 1,300 metres below sea level, Block 17 is made up of four major hubs – Girassol, Dalia, Pazflor, and CLOV (Cravo, Lirio, Orquidea and Violeta) – which were gradually brought on stream between 2001 and 2014.