Total has announced that it expects the offshore Moho Nord field to add a further 100,000 barrels a day when it starts first production by early 2017.

According to Total’s Africa president for exploration and production, Guy Maurice (photo), the company expected to make a final investment decision on its onshore Ugandan field by the end of 2017.

“Lower operational expenditure on one side and lower development costs on the other side should lead to the possibility to sanction new developments in a low price environment,” Maurice told Reuters.

The $10 billion Moho Nord subsea project is situated around 75km off the coast of Pointe Noire in the Republic of Congo. It is the first deepwater offshore project in Congo at water depths between 650m and 1,100m.

Moho Nord is the most recent project being developed in the Moho-Bilondo licence, 53.5% of which is owned and operated by Total E&P Congo, a subsidiary of Total alongside Chevron and the Congolese state-owned oil company SNPC with 31.5% and 15% interest respectively.

The Moho Nord joint development project comprises of two developments, namely Moho Bilondo Phase 1b and Moho Nord. Phase 1B targets further reserves in the southern portion, while the Moho Nord targets new reserves in the northern portion of the licence area.

Phase 1b began operations in late 2015 while work remains on the parallel Moho Nord project with start-up expected in H1 of 2017.

Anita Fatunji