Italian energy services company Saipem has been awarded a $1 billion offshore contract by Azule Energy for transportation and installation work on the Greater PAJ development offshore Angola, one of the largest ultra-deepwater projects currently being developed in sub-Saharan Africa.
The contract, which has a duration of around 40 months, covers engineering, fabrication, transportation and installation services for subsea infrastructure at the field, located about 200 km off the Angolan coast.
The scope of work includes the installation of around 180 km of rigid pipelines and subsea facilities in water depths of up to 2,000 metres. Saipem will also transport and install 38 km of flexible flowlines and jumpers and 54 km of umbilicals.
Fabrication activities for the Greater PAJ project will be carried out at Saipem's Ambriz yard in Angola, with the company planning to involve local suppliers and workforce as part of the project's execution.
For offshore installation activities, Saipem intends to deploy its construction vessels FDS and Castorone, both of which have extensive experience on complex deepwater developments.
The award comes shortly after TechnipFMC secured a separate contract from Azule to supply flexible flowlines and risers for the same development, highlighting continued investment in Angola's deepwater sector as operators seek to sustain production and develop new resources.
Azule Energy, jointly owned by Eni and BP, is Angola's largest independent oil and gas producer and has been advancing several offshore projects as the country looks to offset declining output from mature fields.