The Gimboa field is located 53 miles (85 kilometers) offshore Angola, Africa, on Block 4/05 at a water depth of 2,297 feet (700 meters). Sonangol operates the field with a 50% interest. Partners include Statoil, 20%; ACR (Angola Consulting Resources), 15%; and SOMOIL (Sociedade Petrolefira Angolana), 15%.

Discovered in 2004 by exploration well 4-41-1, the field's Miocene reserve is estimated to hold approximately 50 MMboe.

Field Development

The Gimboa field development consists of three production wells, four water-injection wells and seven subsea trees, clustered around a central manifold and tied-back to an FPSO.

In August 2006, Sonangol signed a letter of intent with Aker Solutions for the supply of the subsea production system, which covers project management, engineering, manufacturing, testing, delivery and installation support for the Gimboa subsea production system.

Technip received a US $70 million contract for field development engineering, procurement, fabrication, testing, installation and pre-commissioning. The contract encompassed a production flowline, water injection flexible flowline, gas-lift flexible pipe, service umbilical, associated flexible riser system and flexible well jumpers. Flexi France in Le Trait, France manufactured the flexible lines.

Worth $570 million, Saipem was awarded the contract for the provision and management of the Gimboa FPSO. The contract is for six years with a five-year extension option.

Saipem converted the oil tanker T/T Magdelaine into the Gimboa FPSO vessel, with a storage capacity of 1.8 MMbbl. The vessel was converted in Kure, Japan, in 2007 to 2008. The hull of the FPSO has an overall length of 1,106 feet (337 meters), a breadth of 179 feet (54.5 meters), and a molded depth of 89 feet (27 meter). The vessel's loaded drought is 69 feet (21 meters) with a deadweight of 273,777 tons (248,366 tonnes). Two steam turbine-driven boilers have an output of 14MW that generate the vessel's power.

The mooring for the Gimboa FPSO consists of a 12-leg spread system made of chains anchored by suction piles to the seafloor.

The Gimboa field came online at the start of 2008 and produces 60,000 bopd, 60,000 bopd of water and 37 MMcf/d (1 MMcm/d).