Training & Workshop
1st International Workshop and Exhibition on Biotechnologies for Improved Production of Oil and Gas in the Gulf of Guinea in April 2009
Gulf of Guinea Province: The Gulf of Guinea is in the Atlantic southwestern part of Africa. The province, as defined by the U.S. Geological Survey, consists of the coastal and offshore areas of Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Benin, and the western part of the coast of Nigeria, from the Liberian border east to the western edge of the Niger-Delta. It includes the Ivory Coast, Tano, Central, Saltpond, Keta, and the Benin Basins and the Dahomy Embayment.
Petroleum Resources of the Gulf of Guinea: The discovery ratio for oil wells in the Gulf of Guinea has been reported to be almost 60 percent, unlike in the United States where it is just about 10 percent. This implies that at least every second hole drilled has been a hit. Estimates of Africa’s share of the world’s crude reserves are as high as 10 percent and the vast majority of these are located in the Gulf of Guinea. As much as 15 percent of United States oil is currently supplied by Gulf of Guinea states, mainly Nigeria and Angola. This is expected to rise to 25 percent (more than from the Persian Gulf) by 2015 as countries in the region boost production. With proven reserves of approximately 40 billion barrels (ahead of the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil’s Campos Basin), Gulf of Guinea is generally viewed by the oil industry as one of the world’s leading deep-water offshore production centre, with 633 fixed platforms, 13 floaters and 20 storage and offloading vessels. A further 159 fixed platforms are expected to be installed by 2008, drilling more than 700 wells. Overall oil production is expected to rise to 6.8 million by 2008 and total investment in African deep-water will be $52 biilion by 2010. Therefore, many experts believe that West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea will likely emerge as world leader in offshore exploration and production.
Top Oil Producing Companies: Nigeria’s NNPC, TotalFinaElf, ChevronTexaco, Exxon-Mobil, RD-Shell, Angola’s Sonangol, ENI, ConocoPhillips, Ocean Energy, Marathon, Amerada Hess, Canadian Natural Resources, Unocal, INA.
Selected Oil and Gas Fields, Location, Operators and Start-up Year: Akpo (Nigeria, Total, 2008), Pazlor (Angola, Total, 2011), Lobito-Tomboco (Angola, Chevron, 2005), Agbami (Nigeria, Chevron, 2008), Abana (Nigeria, Moni Pulo Ltd, 1999), Bonga (Nigeria, Shell, 2005), Ceiba (Equatorial Guinea, Triton Energy, 2001), Chinguetti (Mauritania, Woodside, 2006), Dalia (Angola, Total, 2006), Ekpe (Nigeria, ExxxonMobil), Espoir (Ivory Coast, Canadian National Resources, 2002), Girassol (Angola, Total, 2001), Greater Plutonia Block Kizomba 18 (Angola, BP, 2007), Kizomba (Angola, Exxon-Mobil, 2007/2008), Ofon 1/2 (Nigeria, Total, 1997/2009), Sanha/Bomboco (Angola, Cabinda Gulf Oil, 2007), Usan (Nigeria, Total, 2010), Xikomba (Angola, Esso, 2004 – 2006), Yoho (Esso, Nigeria, 2003), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea, Exxon-Mobil, 1996), Amenam-Kpono (Nigeria, Total, 2003/2007).
Sources:
Brownfield, M. E. and Charpentier, R. R. (2006). Geology and total petroleum systems of the Gulf of Guinea Province of West Africa, http://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/2207/C/
Dieterich, J. (2004). The Gulf of Guinea and the global oil market: supply and demand. In Oil Policy in the Gulf of Guinea (ed. Traub-Merz R. and Yates, D.) pp. 28-37. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.
Kuijvenhoven, C., Noirot J. C., Hubbard, P., Oduola, L. (2005). One year experience with the injection of nitrate to control souring in Bonga deepwater development offshore Nigeria. SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, Texas, U.S.A., 28 February – 2 March 2007.
Ogunbiyi, C. and Shoylekov, R. (2004). The new Gulf? pp. 29-30. African Review of Business and Technology –March 2004.