French offshore vessel owner Bourbon has been awarded an integrated logistics contract by compatriot oil major Total in Namibia.
Bourbon said on Monday that its Marine & Logistics arm would support Total’s deep offshore exploration campaign in South Namibia in 2020.
The project scope covers the provision of a logistics base, freight forwarding, custom clearance, material storage, and warehousing, handling and lifting, marine port visits support along with tank cleanings and logistics operations planning and conduct.
This new contract follows Bourbon’s initial assignment for Total in integrated logistics in Bulgaria.
According to the company, Bourbon will provide integrated logistics services through a local branch Bourbon Logistics Namibia with local partner Logistics Support Services.
Bourbon added that Namibia represented great growth opportunities for many oil companies who will closely watch the results of the exploration well in south Namibia.
The project started in early August 2019 and should last approximately one year with drilling activities expected in the first semester of 2020. The operations will be managed out of Lüderitz, a port in the south of Namibia.
Grégoire Durand, VP of oil and gas logistics of Bourbon Marine & Logistics, said: “We are extremely pleased to support Total E&P in this new exploration project, and will ensure to provide efficient cost-effective integrated logistics services, with the help of our local partner.”
It is worth reminding that energy intelligence firms Wood Mackenzie and Rystad in early 2019 listed Total’s Venus-1 well offshore Namibia as one of the top wells to watch this year but, according to reports, the well will be not be drilled in 2019.
The Venus prospect will be one of the deepest wells ever drilled in Africa. The well is located in a giant basin floor fan of the Orange Basin and will target 2 billion barrels of oil close to the South African maritime boundary.
As reported by energy media outlet Upstream Online, Enzo Insalaco, Total’s vice president for Africa exploration, told delegates at the Africa Oil Week conference that the company was planning to drill up to ten offshore exploration wells offshore Africa.
The priority locations for the wells will be South Africa, Angola, and Namibia. As previously reported, Total plans to drill up to three exploration wells off South Africa.
Insalaco added that the Maersk Voyager and Deepsea Stavanger rigs were contracted for the 2020 African drilling campaign.
After completing work off Angola, the Maersk Voyager will begin mobilization to Namibia to drill the Venus wildcat before returning to Angola to spud two step-out exploration wells in Block 17.