New oil platform for the Republic of Equatorial Guinea

04 February 2016

The delegation on board the Red Eagle vessel, with the new platform in the background

This new platform has been developed by the Ministry of Mines, Industry, and Energy, together with Marathon Oil, in order to increase oil production and the useful life of the Alba Oilfield. The Director General of Hydrocarbons and the Oil Economy, Mercedes Eworo Milam, representing the head of the ministry, Gabriel Mbega Obiang Lima, visited the facilities on 18th January.

The Equatoguinean Government, in its eagerness to extend the productivity of hydrocarbons in the nation for the nation, has acquired a new oil platform which will be added to those already operating within our territorial waters.

The delegation that visited the Alba Oilfield, on 18th January, was made up of over twenty officials, led by the Director General of Hydrocarbons and the Oil Economy, Mercedes Eworo Milam. The mission set sail in the Red Eagle vessel at 10:30, from the Punta Europa dock, and 55 minutes later it could be seen a hundred metres from the new platform, called B3, which in the coming hours will be installed next to B1 and B2. In the same area, the delegation was able to learn about the most striking features of this oil facility.

The new platform, the cost for which will be borne by the Government led by the Head of State, H. E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, will be located next to B1 and B2, with the aim of maintaining pressure on the seabed in order to continue with hydrocarbon production at around thirty thousand barrels a day. This facility will also serve to facilitate the extraction of the raw material, and maintain productivity in the long term for the Alba Oilfield.

B3 is the biggest platform of all those installed in our waters, and is a project between the Ministry of Mines, Industry, and Energy, and the American oil company, Marathon Oil.

According to Mercedes Eworo Milam, who was accompanied by the Presidential Adviser in Oil Matters, Julián Abia Biteo May, “the visit we made today to the Alba Oilfield is due, to a large extent, to the efforts made between our ministry and Marathon Oil. This is a compression project which will serve to create more pressure when extracting hydrocarbons from the said field”.

Bill Wheeler, regional manager for Marathon Oil, during his brief address, valued the seriousness and interest of the Government when bringing about decisive projects, such as this new platform. Furthermore, he pointed out the importance of prolonging the useful life of the Equatoguinean oil deposits.

The director of Marathon Oil in Equatorial Guinea, Patrick Sanders; the director of Atlantic Methanol Production in Equatorial Guinea, Jim Okasek; the deputy manager and relations advisor for Marathon Oil with the Equatoguinean Government, Desiderio Ndong Abeso and Hermes Esono, respectively, also visited the new facility, in addition to other figures from the ministry and from oil companies operating in Punta Europa.

Report: Mansueto Loeri Bomohagasi (DGPWIGE)
Equatorial Guinea’s Press and Information Office