Noble Energy agrees to develop Alen field’s natural gas offshore Equatorial Guinea

Noble Energy Inc. signed an agreement with the Equatorial Guinea government and necessary third-parties establishing a framework for development of natural gas from offshore Alen field.

Gas will be processed through Alba Plant LLC’s liquefied petroleum gas plant and EGLNG’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant.

Sanction of the project is contingent upon final commercial agreements being executed.

Gary W. Willingham, Noble Energy’s executive vice-president, operations, said the agreement is a step toward producing “a substantial amount of gas from the Alen field through existing infrastructure on Bioko Island. This project will transform the Alen platform into an offshore hub for potential development of additional gas fields nearby. First production is anticipated early in the next decade.”

Existing production and processing facilities in place at the Alen platform and in Punta Europa require only minor modifications to produce and process Alen gas. The agreement contemplates construction of a 65-km pipeline to transport gas from Alen platform to Punta Europa.

The pipeline is being designed with capacity to handle production from multiple fields. Alen field, on Blocks O and I offshore Equatorial Guinea, has been producing gas condensate since 2013 but the gas was being reinjected into the reservoir to enhance liquids recovery (OGJ Online, Jan. 12, 2011).

Noble Energy operates Alen field with 45% working interest and holds a 28% non-operated working interest in the Alba plant.