Total Begins its Deepest Drilling Project

Total has commenced an intensive drilling program for the Egina offshore project in Nigeria. Two rigs will be kept busy for a total of 3,000 days, drilling 44 wells in water depths ranging between 1,400 and 1,700 meters. 

“This is the deepest offshore project ever operated by Total,” said Jean-Michel Guy, Executive General Manager of the Egina Project. “With production of 200,000 barrels per day, it will contribute significantly to achieving Total’s 2017 production objectives.”

But for Total, Egina also emphasizes Nigerian content. Several thousand local jobs will be created and extensive local infrastructure (mainly yards) will be upgraded or built, contributing to Nigeria's sustainable development. This win-win situation should enable Total to productively pursue a partnership that began more than 50 years ago, the company said in a statement.

Total’s interest in the field is 24 percent. It is partnered with CNOOC (45 percent), Petrobras (16 percent) and Sapetro (15 percent).

The field infrastructure will consist of a subsea production system tied in to a FPSO with a processing capacity of 200,000 b/d and a storage capacity of 2.3 million barrels.

All the basic engineering work was done locally – a first in Nigeria. Total successfully met this sustainability target by ensuring teamwork between international companies and local contractors to accelerate the pace of technology transfer and the training of the local workforce.