Trident Energy Upgrading Okume Field Off Equatorial Guinea

International oil and gas company Trident Energy has announced the commissioning of extensive upgrades at the Okume Field in Equatorial Guinea.

Aimed at unlocking the geological capacity of the complex – a conventional oil development located in deep water in Equatorial Guinea comprising five producing oilfields, namely, Okume, Elon, Oveng, Akom North, and Ebano – the upgrade will convert 15 gas lift wells to electrical submersible pumps (ESP) by the end of 2022.

To prepare for the ESP conversion, Trident Energy announced that the company will upgrade Okume’s central processing facilities (CPF) to maximize production capacity, particularly regarding separation, injection, and power generation.

The upgrade, to the tune of $57 million, involves the engineering, procurement, fabrication, and installation of over 200,000 man-hours of work, 200 tons of structures, 700 piping spools, 250 valves, subsea power cables, several hundred fiber optics, eight electrical shelters, topside cables, new process units, and more.

According to Trident Energy, the investment is a great illustration of the company’s strategy to unlock the true value of its mid-life oil and gas assets, with the company now ready to begin the ESP conversion.

The objectives of the upgrade are to extend and upgrade the structure of the CPF platform to support new equipment with cantilevers, add two new power turbines to allow for additional ESPs and injection capacity, and connect the Echo and Foxtrot platforms with high voltage subsea cables to supply power, to upgrade the separation process to handle the incremental produced fluid and the water injection system to support the reservoir pressure as well as instrumentation and telecom upgrades.

For the upgrade, Trident Energy’s local team in Equatorial Guinea managed every aspect of the project including project management, supply chain, logistics, and coordination. Fifty-five percent of the services were provided by local contractors, 32 percent of services were provided by regional contractors and only 13 percent were provided by international contractors, with Trident placing local content at the forefront of the project.

“Trident Energy is making significant progress to expand its footprint across Africa, introducing a new era of operational efficiency and productivity improvements through projects such as the Okume upgrade. As production declines across legacy assets in Africa, new exploration campaigns and drilling will be vital for the continent.

“With the Okume complex comprising five producing oil fields, maximizing production will be particularly important for both Equatorial Guinea and the continent at large. In 2022, developments such as those undertaken by Trident Energy should be commended, with the company making significant progress to expand oil and gas operations in Africa,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

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