en.Wedoany.com Reported - China has commenced engineering work on the topside modules of a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel for Angola's ultra-deepwater development project. The project is being developed by Azule Energy, a joint venture between Italy's Eni and UK-based BP.
The Greater PAJ project is defined as Angola's first cross-block integrated development project, with first oil expected within less than three years, in the first half of 2029. The development integrates five offshore fields across two blocks, including the Palas, Astraea, and Juno fields in Block 31, as well as the Urano and Dione fields in Block 31/21.
The steel cutting ceremony for the topside process modules of the Greater PAJ project FPSO was held at CIMC Raffles' offshore engineering yard in Haiyang, China, marking the official commencement of the topside construction phase. The ceremony took place just one month after the project's final investment decision (FID) was approved.
Azule Energy stated: "The ceremony brought together representatives from Azule Energy and CIMC Raffles to celebrate the opening of a new chapter in the delivery of this world-class floating production facility. This milestone, achieved just one month after the FID, fully demonstrates the shared commitment of Azule Energy, its partners, and CIMC Raffles to deliver this project to Angola on schedule." Located approximately 200 kilometers offshore Angola, the Greater PAJ project operates in water depths ranging from 1,500 to 2,000 meters. The project plan includes 17 production wells connected to a new-build FPSO vessel, which will achieve a daily production rate of 95,000 barrels upon commissioning, with associated gas export capacity of 70 million standard cubic feet per day. The produced gas will be transported via a new pipeline to the Angola LNG (ALNG) plant, with the pipeline connecting into the existing Block 31 gas export network.
Saipem has been awarded a project contract valued at $1 billion, covering the design, fabrication, transportation, and installation of approximately 180 kilometers of rigid pipelines and subsea structures, as well as the transportation and installation of 38 kilometers of flexible pipelines and jumpers and 54 kilometers of umbilicals. Additionally, TechnipFMC announced in a separate statement that it has secured a contract to design and manufacture flexible pipelines and risers to connect wells at water depths of nearly 2,000 meters to the new floating production unit (FPU).
CIMC Raffles has undertaken the EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) work for the Greater PAJ FPSO, covering the entire scope of the FPSO hull and all topside modules, including pre-FEED, basic and detailed design, material and equipment procurement, construction, tow-out, as well as offshore installation and commissioning.
