The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field

Africa Session, Forum 23 poster

The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field

Gregory King, Cabinda Gulf Oil Company
Larry Littlefield, Consultant
Stephen Newton, Chevron International Exploration and Production Co
Filomena Oliveira, Sonangol
Timothy Tokar, Cabinda Gulf Oil Company

Abstract:
The Takula Field is the most prolific oil field in the Republic of Angola. The field is located in
the Block 0 Concession 40 km from the Malongo terminal in water depths of approximately 60
m. The Takula Field once accounted for one-third of Angola's total oil production.
The Takula Field is comprised of seven stacked reservoirs. The field was discovered in
October 1971 and placed on primary production in December 1982. Under primary production
the field achieved rates of 130 MBOPD. A peripheral waterflood was initiated in the Vermelha
reservoir in December 1990. The field achieved its peak production rate of 170 MBOPD in
April 1995.
In October 1992, Improved Oil Recovery technology was applied to the Mesa reservoir with
horizontal infill wells. Well TK-F8 was the first horizontal well in Angola. Horizontal well
technology was applied to the Vermelha reservoir and was followed by the first Angolan multi-
lateral well in January 1998.
In July 1999, the Mesa reservoir was placed on waterflood and became the first waterflood in
Angola to rely solely on lateral wells. This reservoir management strategy was later applied to
the Northwest Takula fault block and the S7 flow unit of the Vermelha reservoir to aid in the
development of lower reservoir quality regions.
Topics to be discussed include:
• Geology of the Greater Takula Area
• Exploration history of the field
• Primary Production including: fabrication, drilling, and production experiences;
reservoir surveillance and management strategies
• Secondary Production including: transition experiences going from primary to
secondary production, infrastructure modifications, and adjustments to the reservoir
surveillance and management strategies
• Application of IOR technologies including: single- and multi-lateral infill wells and
lateral-well developments of poorer reservoir quality regions and flow units
Current challenges and future plans for the field including: maintaining base production from a
mature reservoir with aging infrastructure and heightened environmental awareness

Introduction
The partnership between the Republic of Angola, its people, and the Cabinda Gulf Oil
Company (CABGOC) began informally with geological reconnaissance surveys of the
province of Cabinda in 1954. This partnership was formalized in 1957, with the award of
exclusive hydrocarbon exploration and development rights in the province to CABGOC.
During the 1990’s, the Republic of Angola became one of the premier oil producing regions of
the world. With oil production exceeding 900 MBOPD (143.1x103 m3/d) in 2003, the Republic
of Angola is the second largest crude oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa and the seventh
largest exporter of crude oil to the USA; exporting over 350 MBOPD (55.6x103 m3/d ),
approximately 5 percent of the total US demand. The Takula Field, situated in Blocks 44, 45,
56, and 57 of Area A in the Block 0 Concession (see Figure 1), is the largest producing oil
field in the Republic of Angola. It is located approximately 28 km west of the nearest landfall
and 40 km northwest of the Malongo terminal in water depths ranging from 55 to 65 m. At one
time this field accounted for as much as 35 percent of the total annual production from Angola
(see Figure 2). The Block 0 Concession is operated by CABGOC, a wholly owned subsidiary
of the Chevron Corp., on behalf of the Block 0 Association. The Block 0 Association is
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
Africa Session, Forum 23 poster

comprised of Sociedade Nacional de Combustiveis de Angola (Sonangol) (41.0 percent),

CABGOC (39.2 percent), Total Petroleum Angola Limited (10.0 percent), and ENI Angola
Production B.V. (9.8 percent).

The Takula Field consists of seven stacked oil reservoirs. Ordered from oldest to youngest,
these reservoirs are the: 44-01 Toca, 44-G7 Lower Pinda, 44-G9 Lower Pinda, 44-04 Upper
Pinda, 57-03 Lower Vermelha, 57-02 Upper Vermelha, and 57-04 Mesa reservoirs (see
Figure 3).
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
Africa Session, Forum 23 poster

The Takula Field was discovered in October 1971 by Well 44-01X. The Upper Vermelha
reservoir was discovered in January 1980 with Well 57-02X. Primary production from the field
began in December 1982. The Upper Vermelha reservoir was placed on a peripheral
waterflood in December 1990. In October 1992 improved oil recovery (IOR) technology, in the
form of a horizontal (single-lateral) infill well, was applied to the Mesa reservoir with the
drilling of Well TK-F08, Angola’s first single-lateral well. In December 1995 oil production
exceeded 500 MMSTB (79,495x103 m3) and the Takula Field became the first giant oil field in
Angola. Multi-lateral IOR technology was applied to the Upper Vermelha reservoir with
Angola’s first multi-lateral well, Well TK-A12, spudded in January 1998. This paper discusses
the history of Angola’s most prolific oil field, the Takula Field.
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
Africa Session, Forum 23 poster

Geology of the Greater Takula Area

The regional and reservoir geology of the Greater Takula Area have been discussed in detail
elsewhere.1 However, a discussion of the regional geology is required to thoroughly
understand the rationale behind the early exploration activity in Cabinda; while knowledge of
the reservoir geology is essential for understanding the reservoir management of the field.

Regional Geology
The geological development of the Greater Takula Area is intimately linked to the rifting that
resulted in the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean, and has been informally divided into the
pre-salt period and the post-salt period, which had distinct depositional and structural styles.
Early-rift basement faulting resulted in the creation of a series of sub-basins during late
Jurassic/early Cretaceous time. The dominant fill is the lacustrine Bucomazi formation (see
Figure 4). The middle-Bucomazi Neocomian unconformity marks the onset of anoxic
conditions, and the deposition of the organic Bucomazi shales which became the source
rocks (20 percent TOC) for most of the oil in the Greater Takula Area. Isostatic uplift at the
end Barremian resulted in the development of an extensive unconformity, on to which were
deposited the Aptian Chela clastics, which were the product of renewed subsidence and
erosion. Following Chela deposition, the extensive (up to 1,000 m) deposition of Loeme
(Aptian) evaporites created both a seal for pre-salt reservoirs, and a décollement zone for the
extensive listric faulting that was a crucial element in the structural evolution of the basin, and
the formation of many of the post-salt reservoirs. The Loeme does not afford a regional seal
to the pre-salt, as there are areas where the salt is absent due to halokinesis and post-salt
basin evolution. Such “salt windows” are essential conduits for hydrocarbon migration from
the organic Bucomazi source rocks to post-salt reservoirs.
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
Africa Session, Forum 23 poster

Open marine conditions have persisted from early Albian time to the present day. The Albian
Pinda formation is characterized by continental shelf clastics and carbonates. The interaction
of facies tracts and the rotation and sliding related to the salt-soled listric faulting resulted in
stratigraphically-complex rollover structures, with frequently limited horizontal continuity.
Some of these structures are hydrocarbon reservoirs. The Cenomanian marks a shift to
predominantly siliciclastic deposition, with an attenuation of fault activity which resulted in the
creation of broader less-faulted structures in comparison with those of the Pinda. It is during
the Cenomanian that the nearshore/shoreface sandstones of the Vermelha formation were
deposited in the Takula area. The remainder of the Upper Cretaceous was dominated by a
marine transgression. During this time the siltstones of the Azul, Lago, and Mesa Members
(Iabe formation) were deposited. At Takula, the Mesa is an oil reservoir.
Passive continental margin subsidence persisted from the Late Cretaceous to the present
day, and has introduced massive amounts of sediment into the basin, especially in the
Miocene, which is primarily shale, with associated turbidites and cut-fill channel systems

Reservoir Geology
The Takula Field is comprised of five hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs in four formations (see
Figure 3).

Toca (Bucomazi) Formation

The Toca (44-01 reservoir) comprises shallow-water lacustrine carbonates, informally divided
into the Upper Toca and Lower Toca, which act as independent reservoirs, separated by an
argillaceous interval. These units have been further refined into the UT1, UT2, UT3, and LT1,
LT2, and LT3 units for data acquisition and reservoir management purposes. In the Takula
Field, the Toca reservoir is predominately comprised of algal limestone, with subordinate
dolomite, deposited in a shallow lacustrine environment. Various porosity types have been
observed: vugular, moldic, fenestral, and fracture. Of these, vugular and fracture porosity are
the most significant in terms of productivity. The trap is a combination structural/stratigraphic
trap, with the eastern seal to the reservoir provided by the carbonates grading laterally into
shale.

Pinda Formation
The Pinda formation is a complex mix of clastics and carbonates. Reservoirs exist in both the
Upper Pinda (44-04 reservoir) and Lower Pinda (44-G7 and 44-G9 reservoirs). In both cases,
sandstones make up the most significant reservoir facies.
The Upper Pinda is informally divided into the P1 through P7 units. Of these, the most prolific
are the P5 and P6 units. The P7 unit was only found to be oil-bearing in Well TK-I12, drilled in
1998. The Upper Pinda reservoir comprises two distinct accumulations in the Takula Field.
The major accumulation is that encompassed by the TK-A, TK-I, and TK-C areas. This
structure is a northwest-southeast trending anticlinal feature, bound to the east by a listric
fault. A second, smaller accumulation exists in the TK-O area, and is separated from the main
development area by a structural saddle. This structure is an anticlinal feature, bound to the
north and west by major listric faults. In the Upper Pinda, the reservoir-quality rock is
predominantly dolomitic sandstone, with minor dolomite.
The Lower Pinda comprises three units, LP1 through LP3, and is lithologically similar to the
Upper Pinda. The Lower Pinda is productive in the TK-G and TK-O areas. The structure is an
anticlinal feature, bound to the north and west by major listric faults. As with the Upper Pinda,
sandstone comprises the dominant reservoir facies.

Vermelha Formation
There are two major reservoir sections in the Takula Vermelha formation: the Upper
Vermelha (57-02 reservoir) and Lower Vermelha (57-03 reservoir). In both cases, the
reservoir rock comprises dolomitic sandstone, deposited in a predominantly upper shoreface
setting. The majority of the reservoir rock was deposited as barrier bars, with subordinate tidal
channel sands. Originally thought to be a single reservoir section, it was subsequently
determined that two original oil-water contacts (OWC) are present, one in the Upper
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
Africa Session, Forum 23 poster

Vermelha and one in the Lower Vermelha. The reservoir was divided into 11 informal units,
the S1 through S11. Of these, the S1 through S7 units are in the Upper Vermelha; while the
S8 through S11 are in the Lower Vermelha. An interval of shales and carbonates separates
the two Vermelha reservoirs. For data acquisition and reservoir management purposes, the
Upper Vermelha was further refined into twenty flow units and the Lower Vermelha into eight
flow units.
The reservoir structure is a large, fault-bound anticline, which opens to the south into a
structural saddle. This saddle allows for hydrodynamic communication between the Upper
Vermelha reservoirs of the Takula and Numbi Fields (see Figures 1 and 3). Faults to the north
separate the field from the Wamba and N’Sano Fields.
The Upper Vermelha is volumetrically the largest and most prolific of the reservoirs in the
Takula Field, containing more than two-thirds of the original oil-in-place (OOIP).

Mesa Member (Iabe Formation)

The Mesa (57-04 reservoir) is the youngest of the reservoirs, and the last to be put on
production. The reservoir rock is comprised of various types of interbedded siltstone,
deposited in a generally quiescent shallow marine environment. Although the potential for
hydrocarbon development was recognized early in the appraisal of the field, rates from the
appraisal wells were not considered to be economic, being a reflection of the relatively poor
reservoir quality. The Mesa was broken down into six informal units, M1 through M6, of which,
the M2 contains the bulk of the recoverable resource. It was not until the use of horizontal
(single-lateral), and later multi-lateral, drilling technology in the 1990s that development of this
reservoir has been economically viable. To date, development has focused on the M2 and M4
units.
The Mesa structure is a broad anticline, bound to the east by major fault.

Exploration History of Block 0 and the Greater Takula Area

In 1954 Gulf Oil Corp. (acquired by Chevron Corp. in 1984) performed a geological
reconnaissance survey of the surface geology, oil seeps, and asphaltic outcrops in the
Angolan province of Cabinda.1 Encouraging results from this work culminated with Decrees
41180 and 41374 in 1957, which granted CABGOC (a wholly owned subsidiary of Gulf Oil
Corp.) exclusive exploration and development rights for petroleum and related substances
over the entire land area and the shallow offshore area (water depths less than 30 m) of the
providence of Cabinda1. The total area granted to CABGOC was 7,267 km2. The Takula Field
was not included in this original concession as it was outside of the 30 m isobath.2
In June 1958, a seismic land crew was put into the field to obtain a seismic survey over the
onshore acreage. This crew remained active until 1960. In late 1958 and early 1959, an air
magnetometer survey was obtained over the concession including the offshore acreage.1,2
The first well drilled by CABGOC, the Ponta Vermelha 1 well (now Well 122-01X), was
spudded near the coast of Cabinda on July 4, 1958, approximately one month after the
seismic survey was initiated. This well reached a total depth of 2,570 m and terminated in the
Loeme salt formation. The objective of the first phase of exploratory drilling was to establish
the local stratigraphy of the Lower Congo Basin in the vicinity of Cabinda. Four wells were
drilled during this early drilling phase. The stratigraphic column of the Cabinda region is
shown in Figure 4.
In mid-1959, two geologic field crews were formed to carry out surface mapping and
exploration activities. At the time that these geologic crews were formed, natural asphaltic
outcrops along the eastern fringe of the coastal basins of the Republic of Angola, the
Democratic Republic of Congo (then the Belgian Congo), and the Congo Republic (then the
French Congo) were well known.1,2
Based on the results of the onshore seismic survey, the first exploratory drilling phase, the
surface geology, and hydrocarbon discoveries in Gabon, the Congo Republic, and the
Democratic Republic of Congo, it was determined that the pre-salt Chela formation (see
Figure 4) would be the primary objective of the next phase of exploration. In 1960 and 1961, a
second exploratory drilling campaign consisting of thirteen wells was begun with the Chela
formation as the principal target.2
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In 1962, an offshore 2D seismic survey was shot. Based on the interpretation of this seismic
survey and the earlier magnetometer survey, seven offshore post-salt structural anticlines
were mapped and designated structures “A” through “G”. At this time, the concept of post-salt
formations as commercial oil reservoirs was considered to be very risky due to the poor post-
salt results encountered during the earlier onshore exploratory drilling campaigns.2
In 1966, a semi-submersible rig, Transworld Rig 58, was brought in to test one of these
structures. Due to the uncertainty in the concept of post-salt formations as oil reservoirs, the
“E” structure was selected as the offshore wildcat location. Although the “E” structure was in
deeper water and was a relatively small structure, risk could be mitigated through a pre-salt
secondary objective that could also be reached. The first offshore well drilled in Angola,
Wildcat E-1 (now Well 96-01X), was spudded on July 1, 1966. The well penetrated oil-bearing
sands at the base of the post-salt, Vermelha target but did not encounter oil in the pre-salt
target. The Vermelha oil accumulation discovered by this well later became the Limba Field.
Spurred by this success, the Block 0 Association drilled a second offshore well on a larger
post-salt structure in considerably shallower water.2
Well B-1 (now Well 73-01X) was drilled in September 1966 and encountered oil at the base of
the Iabe formation. Although the Vermelha formation was penetrated by the well, at this
location it was a non-commercial redbed facies. Well 73-01X successfully produced oil on test
from the Iabe formation. Well B-3 (now Well 73-02X), was also drilled on the “B” structure in
November 1966 and produced oil on test from the Iabe formation. The oil accumulations
discovered by the 73-01X and 73-02X wells later became the Malongo North and the
Malongo South Fields, respectively.2
In 1966, based on the results of the successful offshore drilling campaign, CABGOC
renegotiated the exploration contract. The concession area was extended to the edge of the
continental shelf which was defined as the 200 m isobath. The total concession acreage was
now 10,116 km2 and encompassed the yet undiscovered Takula Field.2
From 1967 to 1970, additional onshore and offshore exploratory drilling continued. Several
new discoveries were made in the Malongo fields including the pre-salt Lucula reservoir in the
Malongo North Field and the pre-salt Toca and Lucula reservoirs in a new field, the Malongo
West Field.1,2
Based on the results of the successful pre-salt drilling in the Malongo fields, continued
offshore exploratory drilling resulted in the discoveries of Toca reservoirs in the Limba (Well
84-12X), Kambala (Well 121-02X), and Takula (Well 44-01X) Fields. While Well 44-01X
(spudded in October 1971) was the discovery well for the Takula Field, the Toca reservoir is
only a minor reservoir at Takula, and the commerciality of the discovery was not yet proven.2
In 1972, the concession contract required that CABGOC relinquish 75 percent of the
concession acreage. This would have required the relinquishment of both onshore and
offshore acreage. Due to the success of the offshore exploration, the contract was again
renegotiated. In the revised contract, CABGOC relinquished all of the onshore acreage,
excluding the Malongo terminal facility, but retained all of the offshore acreage.1,2
During development drilling of the Limba Field, it was determined that at this relatively deep
water location, the Vermelha sands were marine deposits and not the Vermelha redbeds
encountered onshore and in shallower water locations. Well 84-22X, the discovery well for the
Kungulo Field, also showed well developed marine deposits in the Vermelha formation.2
The Republic of Angola gained its independence from Portugal on November 11, 1975 and
exploration and development activities were suspended until concession agreements could
be re-negotiated with the new government. Upon completion of these negotiations in 1977,
drilling and production operations resumed in 1978.1,2
In 1979, most of the exploration activity focused on step-out wells from earlier discoveries.
The most important of these wells in relation to the discovery and commercialization of the
Takula Field was Well 44-04X (now Well TK-C1). The objectives of this well were to
determine the lateral extent of the earlier Toca discovery in Well 44-01X and to test up-dip
Vermelha oil shows in that well. Well 44-04X was unsuccessful at extending the Toca
accumulation, but encountered approximately 20 m of oil shows in the Vermelha formation
and 34 m of oil-bearing sand in the Upper Pinda. The Vermelha oil shows were not tested in
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
Africa Session, Forum 23 poster

this well because of the silty nature of the reservoir at this location; however, the Pinda
reservoir was successfully tested. Well 44-04X was the discovery well for the Takula Upper
Pinda reservoir.1,2
In late December 1979, Well 57-02X (now Well TK-B1) was spudded with the objectives of (1)
further appraising the Well 44-04X Pinda discovery and (2) testing the Vermelha oil shows. In
January 1980, this well encountered approximately 67 m of oil-bearing Vermelha formation
and was tested at a combined rate of over 4.5 MBOPD (0.7x103 m3/d) from two tests.1 This
well was the discovery well for the Takula Upper Vermelha reservoir and proved the
commerciality of the Takula Field.2
Well 57-02X was followed by two appraisal wells for the Upper Vermelha discovery. Well 57-
03X, spudded in October 1981, successfully appraised the southern flank of the Upper
Vermelha structure and was the discovery well for the Takula Lower Vermelha reservoir;
while Well 57-04X, spudded in March 1982, successfully appraised the eastern flank of the
Upper Vermelha structure and was the discovery well for the Takula Mesa reservoir.
While there was much more exploration activity in the Cabinda Block 0 Concession during
this time period, only those activities relevant to the exploration concepts and eventual
discovery of the Takula Field have been discussed. The major exploration concepts outlined
in this brief history have been (1) the movement of exploration from onshore to offshore; (2)
the change in focus from deeper, pre-salt targets to shallower, post-salt targets; (3) the
discovery of the change in the depositional systems of the Vermelha formation from redbeds
close to the present-day coastline to marine deposits further seaward and finally; (4) the
discovery of oil and its commerciality in the Takula Field.2

Development History of the Takula Field

Primary Recovery
Original Field Development
The scoping economics and forecasting for the Takula Field were based on classical reservoir
engineering analysis at the time of the 57-02X Upper Vermelha discovery.3 Concurrently, a
detailed reservoir simulation study was commissioned to create the detailed development
plans for the field.4 These two studies, were the first of several reservoir studies of the field.
Due to the lack of historical production data, the classical reservoir engineering study3 used
petrophysical and DST data from the discovery and appraisal wells, volumetric analysis,
industry-standard statistical correlations, and analogy to carry out the preliminary scoping
technical and economic assessments.3 Stabilized production rates from the DSTs constrained
by the facility design and statistical recovery factors were used to determine the required well
count and spacing to adequately drain the reservoir under primary production. The large areal
extent of the mapped structure, the required well spacing, the shallow reservoir depths, and
the then-current drilling technology precluded the use of directional wells from a small number
of drilling centres5 and it was determined that several nine-slot well jackets distributed over
the field were required for development. Solution gas drive was assumed for the base case as
this resulted in the most conservative recovery; however, water drive was also considered in
the study to account for the uncertainty in the drive mechanism and as a sensitivity to the
application of a waterflood. The overall project design, production profile, and estimated
ultimate recovery (EUR) were then compared to the analogue Piper Field in the UK North
Sea.3 Recoveries from this study ranged from 20 percent of OOIP for solution gas drive to 34
percent for water drive (either natural or engineered).
Simultaneously with the scoping study, a detailed simulation study, in terms of then-current
simulation technology and computer hardware was initiated. For comparison, this version of
the Upper Vermelha model was a 39x23x1, 2D-model containing 791 active grid cells, in
contrast to the current version of the model which is an 80x135x30 3D-model containing
252,420 active cells6). The objective of this study was to create the detailed development plan
for the field. While the report for this study was issued in August 1983, eight months after first
production, no history match was attempted.
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
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Due to the lack of dynamic historical data, uncertainty in the drive mechanisms, and
uncertainty in the analysis methods; a phased development plan was recommended for the
field consisting of:

1) Phase I (1982)
• Two, nine-slot well jackets, Takula A- and B-Jackets
• One production platform, Gathering Station “L” (GSL)
• One floating storage and export vessel, the Afran Ocean (rechristened the Chevron
Ocean in 1991)
• One single-point mooring berth
• Associated flowlines
2) Phase II (1983)
• Two additional well jackets: Takula C- and D-Jackets
• Associated flowlines
3) Phase III (1983 through 1985)
• Two additional well jackets: Takula E- and F-Jackets
• Upgrade of capacity on GSL
• Associated flowlines
4) Phase IV (optional, based on field performance from Phases I – III)
• Three additional well jackets: Takula G- through I-Jackets
• One additional production platform, Gathering Station “M” (GSM)
• One Water Injection Platform (WIP)
• One Artificial Lift Platform (ALP)
• Two injector well jackets, Takula J- and K-Jackets
• Potential for sub-sea injection wells
• Associated flowlines

The forecast results from this study were in agreement with the conventional reservoir
engineering analysis indicating that a waterflood would recover approximate 32 percent
OOIP. The last phase of development was left flexible in terms of scope, design, and
schedule to allow for the incorporation of production data from the initial phase.3-5 It should be
noted that although the field development was planned as a phased development, activities in
the field continued unabated from 1982 through 1992 and, in retrospect, no clear distinctions
between phases are apparent.
GSL was designed by C. E. Crest Engineering, fabricated by Bouygues Offshore Service
(BOS) in Point Noire, and installed and commissioned in December 1982. It was positioned in
a north-central location of the field to reduce the back pressure on the flow lines connecting
the gathering station to well jackets servicing the northern portion of the field. The Takula A-
and B-Jackets were positioned on the most favourable crestal locations of the Upper
Vermelha structure with the B-Jacket located above Well 57-02X to enable tie-back as a
production well. First production from the Takula Field occurred on December 8, 1982,
approximately two years after the discovery date of the Upper Vermelha Reservoir. All
development costs (excluding upgrades) are listed in Table 1.
For Phase II, the Takula C- and D-Jackets were positioned on flank locations with the C-
Jacket located above Well 44-04X to enable tie-back as a production well. In July 1983, after
seven months of primary production from the four jackets (thirteen Upper Vermelha wells,
eight Lower Vermelha wells, and two Upper Pinda wells), sufficient production/pressure data
had been acquired to finalize the development plans. This seven month period was deemed a
suitable trade-off between the data requirements for a successful sub-surface evaluation
(identification of drive mechanisms, initial production rates, etc.) and the business
requirements for a successful project (up-front production; lead-time for facilities front-end
engineering, design, fabrication, transport, etc.). Since the development drilling resulted in
new open-hole petrophysical data, core data, etc., no effort was made to history match the
existing simulation model. To rapidly incorporate the production and pressure data and to
validate the field development plans, material balance methods were used.7
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Two cases were considered in the material balance study7: production from Phase III only and
production from Phases III and IV. As in the 1982 classical reservoir engineering study3,
solution gas drive was assumed as the primary production drive mechanism, but sensitivities
to water drive were performed to determine the response to a waterflood. The Phase III and
IV case was used for the final field development plan because it was found to be in
agreement with the earlier classical and reservoir simulation studies. The material balance
study resulted in approximately 20 percent OOIP recovery for solution gas drive and a slightly
more optimistic 40 percent OOIP recovery for a waterflood.

Table 1
Original Costs for the Development of the Takula Field
Project Description Approximate Costa Reference
Million US Dollars
(Then-Current)
Primary Production: Phase I 61.0 Reference [5]
• GSL
• Two well jackets
• Well costs
• One export vessel
• One single-point mooring berth
• Associated flowlines
Primary Production: Phase II and Phase III 204.0 Reference [5]
• GSM
• GSL Upgrade
• Five well jackets
• Well costs
• Associated flowlines
Primary Production: O-Jacket Expansion 21.5 Reference [2]
• One well jacket
• Well costs
• Associated flowlines
Secondary (Waterflood) Production 357.1 Reference [2]
• Five well jackets
• Well costs
• Associated flowlines
• Takula WIPb
• Takula ALPc
• Takula onshore storagec
• TAPc
a) 100 percent lease total cost, excludes upgrades.
b) The WIP costs include the pipeline costs.
c) At the time not considered part of the waterflood project. As discussed in the text, for the
purpose of this discussion they are included in this table.

From 1983 through 1985, the five remaining well jackets were installed and commissioned at
approximate 3-4 month intervals. These well jackets were located on the flanks of the
structure to provide adequate well coverage for all of the known reservoirs. The wells were
drilled sequentially from surface to TD (total depth) with the majority drilled from the Sedco
251 jack-up rig. The original 69 production wells resulted in a well spacing of approximately
0.48 km2 (120 acres).
In 1984, in support of the detailed geologic mapping and reservoir simulation studies required
to design the anticipated waterflood, and due to the success of the field development and the
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incremental waterflood forecasts to date, a 140 km2, 3D seismic survey was acquired over the
Takula Area.1,8 At this time, Chevron Corp. acquired Gulf Oil Corp.
In 1985 during development drilling from the Takula G-Jacket two new Lower Pinda
reservoirs, the 44-G7 and 44-G9 reservoirs were encountered. These wells concluded the
discovery of all of the reservoirs that comprise the Takula Field. After nearly three years of
continuous drilling operations, first production from the last of the original well jackets, the
Takula I-Jacket, occurred in November 1985. During this same year, the second gathering
station, GSM, was installed and commissioned. This gathering station was positioned in a
south-central location to provide minimal back pressure to well jackets producing from the
southern portion of the field.
At this point in time the field consisted of the seven reservoirs (five producing), 69 wellbores8
(42 Upper Vermelha, 11 Lower Vermelha, 8 Upper Pinda, 7 Toca, 1 TK-G9 Lower Pinda, 0
TK-G7 Lower Pinda, and 0 Mesa), nine well jackets (A- through I-Jackets), two gathering
stations (GSL and GSM), one floating storage/export vessel (the Afran Ocean), and two
single-point mooring berths (a contingent mooring berth was installed in case bad weather
precluded side-by-side transfer from the Afran Ocean). During primary production (1982 to
1990), the Takula Field was run as an unstaffed operation; field personnel resided in the
Malongo terminal facility and were shuttled offshore on an as-needed basis. Prior to
implementing the waterflood, the field achieved a peak oil rate of approximately 135 MBOPD
(21.5x103 m3/d) in October 1987. After the peak rate, oil production declined by approximately
11 percent per year over the next three years.
The well completions during the original field development were relatively simple. In each well
all of the net pay intervals in the targeted reservoir were perforated. In no case were produced
fluids from different reservoirs allowed to commingle; a practice still followed in the field. For
the wells targeting the Vermelha reservoirs no stimulation was required due to the high
productivities of the wells. Wells targeting lower quality reservoirs, however, were acidized as
required. The majority of the wells in the Vermelha reservoirs required gravel packs for sand
control.

Takula O-Jacket Lateral Expansion

With the discovery of the 44-G7 and 44-G9 Lower Pinda reservoirs during the development
drilling, the results from the 1984 seismic acquisition and processing8, and the results of the
geological re-mapping, the Northwest Takula fault block was identified, and the need for an
additional production well jacket was recognized.9 The 1984 seismic data, however, did not
find closure to the Upper Vermelha structure in this area of the field.9
The development plan for the Northwest Takula fault block targeted five reservoirs (the 57-02
Upper Vermelha, the 44 04 Upper Pinda, the TK-G7 Lower Pinda, the TK-G9 Lower Pinda,
and the 44-01 Toca reservoirs) with wells from a new nine-slot well jacket, the Takula O-
Jacket. By this time, the Takula J- through N-Jackets had been identified as drilling centres
for water injection wells. Injection into the fault block was not possible because of the location
of the injection well jackets and the then-current drilling technology.
The construction of the Takula O-Jacket was awarded to Petromar in July 1991, fabrication
commenced in Petromar’s Ambriz yard in January 1992, and the hook-up occurred on August
3, 1992. Well TK-O1 was spudded in October 1992 targeting the Upper Pinda and the TK-G7
Lower Pinda reservoirs with a dual-completion. First oil from the Takula O-Jacket was in
January 1993 from this well. During the development drilling, the Toca Reservoir was
removed from the development plan due to poorer than anticipated reservoir quality. First oil
from the Upper Vermelha reservoir in this area came from Well TK-O5 in July 1993.9
The well completions during this phase of field development were slightly more complicated
than those in the original drilling phase. Dual-completions were first used in the field in an
attempt to better utilize well slots. In these wells, an 3 ½ in (8.89 cm) tubing string was used
to target the more prolific reservoir in the wellbore, while a 2 ½ in (6.35 cm) tubing string was
used to target the poorer quality reservoir in the wellbore. Again, the mechanical integrity of
the dual-completions ensured producing fluids from separate reservoirs were not
commingled.
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At this time a separate seismic feature was identified from the 1984 seismic survey. This
structure was targeted with an exploration well drilled from the Takula O-Jacket, Well 44-08X
(now Well NS-O1ST) and was the discovery well for three N’Sano Field reservoirs: the 44-O8
Upper Pinda, the 44-O8 Vermelha, and 44-O8 Likuola reservoirs. This well was completed as
a production well in the Upper Pinda reservoir and was followed by a second production well,
Well NS-O2, drilled from the Takula O-Jacket as part of a phased N’Sano development.
In February 1996 a delineation well, Well 44-09X, was drilled with the objectives of finding
closure to the Upper Vermelha structure and to evaluate the reservoir quality on the northern
flank of the Northwest Takula fault block. The well failed to find closure to the structure, and
the results from the data acquisition program indicated that the reservoir quality deteriorated
to the north. A follow-up delineation well, Well 44-10X, was drilled in July 2002 but also failed
to find closure to the structure. The well did, however, confirm the northerly deterioration in
reservoir quality.

Secondary Recovery: Upper Vermelha Reservoir Peripheral Waterflood

The reservoir simulation study10, based on the 1984 seismic interpretation and the 1986
geologic re-mapping, was initiated in 1986 and completed in 1987. This simulation study
indicated that the Takula Field would respond favourably to peripheral water injection. A
follow-up simulation study in 199111, which utilized finer vertical resolution, indicated that the
majority of the positive waterflood response occurred from the Upper Vermelha reservoir. The
Lower Vermelha was found to have sufficient natural water drive to provide adequate
pressure support to production wells. Other reservoirs in the field were not considered to be
suitable waterflood candidates with then-current technology due to the poorer reservoir quality
and stratified nature of the reservoirs. Therefore, the decision was made to implement a
peripheral waterflood in the Upper Vermelha reservoir only.
The conversion of the Takula Field from primary production to a peripheral waterflood was a
major undertaking. In addition to the facilities and equipment directly required for water
injection (new wells and well jackets, injection pipelines, and a new platform for water pumps,
filters, etc.), an entire new infrastructure and support system was required. In the 1983
simulation study4, it was realized that due to the increased rates and higher future watercuts
from a waterflood, production wells would need artificial lift to enable them to continue flowing
at economically attractive rates. In addition, it was realized that the forecasted incremental
production rates from the Upper Vermelha waterflood, from the newly discovered Takula TK-
G7 and TK-G9 Lower Pinda reservoirs, and from the N’Sano Field could not be handled by
the Afran Ocean and that a new storage/export system was required. Finally, the day-to-day
operational management of the waterflood was considered to be much more complicated
than the management of primary production and would require the operational personnel to
live and work offshore. This necessitated a new accommodations facility to house, feed, and
provide office space for the offshore staff.2
At the time, management of the waterflood facilities implementation consisted of only those
facilities directly required for water injection. The artificial lift, onshore storage/export, and
offshore accommodations projects were managed as separate projects. For this paper,
however, all of these projects will be discussed in the context of the Upper Vermelha
waterflood because (1) they give a good indication of the level of development activity
occurring in the field at this time and (2) the Upper Vermelha waterflood would not have been
possible, or at least not as successful, had these ancillary projects not been initiated.2
The period between 1986 and 1990 was very active for the planning and implementation of
the waterflood. In order to deliver the required injection rates for the waterflood, five new well
jackets, the Takula J- through N-Jackets, were required. These well jackets were located with
the following objectives:12
1) To provide the ability to place injection wells on the periphery of the Upper Vermelha
structure using then-current drilling technology
2) To provide the ability to flood the reservoir perpendicular to a northwest-southeast
directional trend of high permeability to maximize areal sweep efficiency
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
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3) To provide the ability to inject into all seven mapped flow units of the Upper Vermelha
reservoir (some reservoir sections are missing from the geologic record on the flanks of
the structure due to unconformities)
4) To balance the trade-off between (1) injecting water below the OOWC to avoid
displacement of oil into the aquifer, and (2) if required, injecting water into the better
quality, oil-bearing sands just up-dip of the OOWC to ensure required volumes of water
could be injected to adequately support production (due to diagenesis, the reservoir
quality of the Upper Vermelha reservoir degrades towards the flanks of the structure and
into the aquifer)
5) To minimize pressure losses from the Takula WIP to the injection well jackets
6) To allow the tie-back of a pilot injection well, Well 57-08X (now Well TK-J1), to the J-
Jacket
The objectives of the pilot injection well, Well 57-08X drilled in 1986, were to perform
injectivity tests12 to ensure water could be injected into the Vermelha reservoirs at the desired
rates (the Lower Vermelha was also tested with this well) and to identify any operational or
water compatibility issues related to the proposed flood.
The fabrication contract for the new well jackets was awarded to Brown and Root
International in August 1987, and these jackets were commissioned and hooked-up in 1988.
In addition to the new well jackets, the Takula E-Jacket was retrofitted to allow for water
injection operations from E-Jacket wells.2
A total of 17 injection wells were used for the Upper Vermelha waterflood. Three injection
wells were drilled from each of the new well jackets and two watered-out, shut-in E-Jacket
production wells were converted to injection wells. A fourth injection well, Well TK-M4, was
drilled from the Takula M-Jacket, but the objective of this well was to provide injection support
to the adjacent Numbi Field (see Figures 1 and 3).2
Injection wells from the new jackets were pre-drilled prior to the installation and
commissioning of Takula WIP and were completed with limited entry perforation techniques
for conformance control (variable perforation shot density based on reservoir quality). In
addition, the injection well completions required gravel packs for sand control to prevent the
isolation of lower perforations due to sand-fill caused by backflow during well or WIP shut-
downs.
The fabrication contract for the Takula WIP was awarded to Petromar in August 1988.
Construction of the platform began at Petromar’s Ambriz yard in April 1989 and was
completed and commissioned in December 1990. Topsides equipment was procured from
various sources. Offshore construction work continued on the topsides equipment through
January 1991. The injection pipeline work required for the waterflood was also awarded to
Petromar as part of the contract. Pipelines were commissioned with the Takula WIP
installation and ran from the WIP to the injection well jackets.2
The fabrication contract for the Takula ALP was awarded to McDermott in August 1987 and
the jacket fabrication was sub-contracted to Petromar. The platform deck was constructed in
McDermott’s Morgan City, Louisiana yard while the jacket was constructed in Petromar’s
Ambriz yard. Topsides equipment was procured from various sources. The Takula ALP was
commissioned on June 1989.2
Two contracts were awarded for the Takula onshore storage/export system. One contract was
awarded to Petromar in December 1990 for the construction of an onshore tank battery
consisting of three 0.6 MMSTB (95.4 x103 m3) tanks. The second contract was awarded to
Offshore Pipeline. Inc., for all pipelines, all offshore construction (excluding mooring), and all
onshore work (excluding storage tanks). Work on both contracts was completed in May 1992
and the first lifting through the new storage/export system commenced on May 18, 1992. At
this time, the Afran Ocean (now the Chevron Ocean) was decommissioned.2
Originally, the concept for the Takula Accommodations Platform (TAP) was the construction
of a conventional deck system supported by a jacket. This concept was abandoned after
proposals were received with costs significantly exceeding the planned budget. After further
analysis, the option to acquire and convert an existing jack-up drilling rig was found to be an
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
Africa Session, Forum 23 poster

acceptable alternative. Several suitable jack-up rigs were identified and bids were solicited. In
June 1990, a contract was awarded to Lamprell-Jumairah for the conversion of the AMDP-2
rig (later rechristened the Ocean Star). Conversion of the rig was performed in Sharjah, UAE.
The refurbished rig was shipped on April 5, 1991; arrived in Cabinda on May 2, 1991; and
was jacked into place on May 12, 1991. TAP was commissioned in June 1991.2 Figure 5
shows, from left to right respectively, the bridge-linked TAP, WIP, ALP, GSM, and Takula B-
Jacket.

Water injection into the Upper Vermelha reservoir began on December 28, 19902 and
represented the first water injection in Angola. Initially, approximately 80 MBWIPD (12.7x103
m3/d) of filtered, treated seawater were injected into seven of the injection wells. The injection
rate was ramped-up to approximately 280 MBWIPD (44.5x103 m3/d) as all seventeen of the
Takula injection wells were brought on-line.2
It was initially planned that the shallow Miocene Landana fresh-water sand would be the
source of injection water for the Upper Vermelha waterflood, and test wells were drilled to
address the feasibility of this concept. It was, however, subsequently determined that the
optimal forward plan was the use filtered seawater, and the use of Landana water was no
longer considered.
The production performance of the Upper Vermelha reservoir is shown in Figure 6 and
illustrates a classic waterflood response. In April 1995 the field achieved its peak oil rate of
approximately 172 MBOPD (27.3x103 m3/d) boosted by a six-well infill drilling and workover
program. In December 1995, the field produced in excess of 500 MMSTB (79,495x103 m3) oil
making it Angola’s first giant oil field.
The field has been on decline since the peak production was achieved but this decline has
been periodically reversed or arrested through the use of sound reservoir management
principles. Most notably this occurred in 1998/1999 with an infill well program in the Upper
Vermelha reservoir and the expansion of the waterflood to the Mesa reservoir.
The infill drilling programs of 1995 and 1998/1999 required further refinements to the well
completions. Due to the differential pressure depletion which often occurs in stratified
reservoirs, infill wells in the Upper Vermelha reservoir could no longer be perforated
throughout the entire pay interval. This pressure differential caused wellbore cross-flow,
particularly during well shut-in, from higher pressure flow units (typically, those flow units
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
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receiving greater injection support and, consequently, having higher watercuts) to lower
pressure, lower watercut flow units. In these early infill wells, this problem was alleviated
easily by only perforating and producing flow units of like-pressure. In addition, slot availability
was beginning to become an issue by 1995 and dual-completions were used in several wells
to target multiple reservoirs.

Improved Oil Recovery (IOR)

Single- and Multi-Lateral IOR Technology for Mesa and Upper Vermelha Infill Wells
In October 1992, production commenced from the poorer quality Mesa reservoir from
horizontal (single-lateral), Well TK-F8. This was the first single-lateral production well drilled in
Angola. This well was quickly followed by a second single-lateral well, Well TK-F9, in
November 1992. During the 1995 workover program, a conventional well, Well TK-D4, was
recompleted up-hole from the Upper Vermelha reservoir to the Mesa reservoir. The outcome
of this workover indicated that single-lateral wells resulted in a sustained three-fold increase
in liquid production compared to conventional wells. Two additional single-lateral wells were
drilled at this time, Wells TK-D7 and TK-D8.
With the success of the four Mesa single-lateral wells, a fifth single-lateral well, Well TK-H10,
was drilled in 1996 into the poorer quality S7 flow unit of the Upper Vermelha reservoir. This
well was followed by Angola’s first dual-lateral well in January 1998, Well TK-A12, also
targeting the S7 flow unit as part of the 1998/1999 infill well program. Well TK-A12 is a TAML
(Technology Advancement for Multi-Laterals) Level 2 completion13 with pressure integrity
resulting from casing and cement at the well junction. In this early dual-lateral completion, the
two laterals were drilled as horizontal sections. The results from Wells TK-H10 and TK-A12
indicated that, in the S7 flow unit of the Upper Vermelha reservoir, liquid production rates
doubled for a dual-lateral well compared to a single-lateral well. The use of dual-lateral wells
also allowed for improved slot management, as wells targeting multiple flow units could be
drilled from one slot.
From 1998 onwards, a number of additional dual-lateral wells were drilled into the Mesa
reservoir from the A-, D-, F-, H-, and I-Jackets. These wells all employed low frequency
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
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sinusoidal well paths to facilitate multiple penetrations of all of the reservoir section of the
thinly bedded Mesa reservoir within a single wellbore. The two laterals were designed as
open-hole sections to reduce costs and to allow imbibition and gravity to draw water from the
“valleys” to prevent accumulated water from restricting flow and causing water slugging.

Multi-Lateral IOR Technology for Vertical Waterflood Expansion to the Mesa

Reservoir
With (1) the declining pressures from the high withdrawal rates from the Mesa reservoir, (2)
the success of the Mesa single-lateral wells, (3) the success of the Upper Vermelha and
Mesa dual-lateral wells, and (4) the drilling and completion innovations of the sinusoidal
laterals, it was decided to expand the Takula waterflood to the Mesa reservoir.
Implementation of the vertical waterflood expansion occurred in August 1999 with first
injection into the Mesa reservoir from Well TK-N4. This well was drilled as a quad-lateral
injector, however, one lateral subsequently collapsed and injection is through the three
remaining laterals. The objective of drilling the well as a quad-lateral was to ensure adequate
injection rates into the poorer quality Mesa formation. Well TK-N4 was the first multi-lateral
well with more than two laterals drilled in Angola and was followed by a second quad-lateral
injector into the Mesa reservoir.
The Takula Mesa waterflood was the first all-lateral waterflood in Angola (note: one legacy
conventional well, Well TK-D4, is still producing from the reservoir). Currently, the Mesa
waterflood is composed of four injection wells (two dual-laterals and two quad-laterals) and
fifteen production wells (one conventional, one single-lateral, and thirteen dual-lateral). Of the
seventeen multi-lateral wells, six use TAML Level 1 completions13 while eleven use TAML
Level 2 completions13.
By the time of the waterflood expansion and the 1998/1999 infill drilling programs, slot-
management was a major concern. To drill all of the designed wells for these programs, well
jackets were upgraded with strap-on conductors, close-proximity well heads (two wells from a
single slot) were utilized, existing wells were sidetracked, and an active slot reclamation
program was initiated.

Multi-Lateral IOR Technology for Development of Other Poor Reservoir Areas

With the success of the Mesa waterflood, the concept of all-lateral waterflood developments
has been extended to other poorer quality areas of the field. In February 2001, dual-lateral
injection well TK-K6 was drilled into the S7 flow unit of the Upper Vermelha reservoir to
provide injection support to Wells TK-H10 and TK-A12 (discussed previously). This well was
followed in November of the same year by a second dual-lateral injector, Well TK-J5. While
legacy conventional wells are perforated in the S7 flow unit, production logs (PLT) indicate
that they do not contribute to production when commingled with more prolific flow units.
Consequently, for reservoir management purposes, the S7 flow unit is treated as an all-lateral
development.
In September 2003, a similar development was implemented in the marginal Northwest
Takula fault block (discussed previously). Four dual-lateral producers and two dual-lateral
were drilled to develop this area of the field.9

Current Challenges and Future Plans: the Focus on Base Production

In May 2004, the Block 0 contract was renegotiated and concession life extended through
year-end 2030. The current challenges for the Takula Field are to maintain and optimize the
current production which involves:
1) Continuing to monitor the reservoir to develop and adapt short- and long-term reservoir
management strategies to changing reservoir conditions
2) Continuing to focus on base production applying sound reservoir management practices
3) Continuing to apply new and evolving technologies
4) Optimizing production through mature, at-capacity infrastructure
The reservoir surveillance program in the Takula Field has been described in detail
elsewhere.6 Data that are routinely acquired in the field include open-hole logs from all new
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
Africa Session, Forum 23 poster

wells; wireline formation pressures (SFT) from all new wells; core data when justified from
appraisal, delineation, and development wells; test data from all wells; cased-hole logs from
select wells; and production logs (PLT/MPLT) from select wells.
The majority of the original Takula development wells were logged using a basic log suite
comprising resistivity (induction)/gamma ray and density/neutron logs. In addition, the vertical
wells drilled from each well jacket were logged with a sonic log and, occasionally, velocity
surveys. All wells drilled after 1993 were logged with long spacing sonic and spectral gamma
ray logs.6 In many wells drilled after 1998, carbon/oxygen (C/O) logs have been run open-hole
to distinguish between formation and injected water.6,14 Recently, new wells have been
logged with magnetic resonance imaging (MRIL) logs. Data from the MRIL logs, when
integrated with data from other logs, have been of value in distinguishing free water from
bound water, formation water from injection water, and reservoir rock from non-reservoir
rock.6
The initial cased-hole log program consisted of pulsed neutron capture (PNC) logs. As the
peripheral waterflood matured, there was concern that the PNC logs were unable to
distinguish relatively fresh injection water from hydrocarbons and, consequently, both C/O
and PNC logs are now used. In addition to the cased-hole saturation logs, PLT and MPLT
(memory PLT) logs are also run in the field.6
The cased-hole saturation and PLT/MPLT data are used for both short-term and long-term
reservoir management activities. For the short-term, these data are used to remediate
problem wells, identify infill well locations, and design well completions, among other day-to-
day reservoir management tasks. Figure 7 shows the level of short-term reservoir
management activity performed in the Takula Field. It is estimated that these day-to-day
activities account 10-15 percent of the daily oil production rate from the Takula Field. The
objectives of the majority of the workovers shown in Figure 7 are for water shut-off. As the
waterflood matured, the simple completions discussed earlier allowed for excessive water
production. To date, (1) squeeze cement jobs, through-tubing bridge plugs (TTBP), straddle
pack assemblies, sliding-sleeves/selective completions, and patch flex technology to control
water production from production wells and (2) limited entry perforations, sliding-
sleeves/selective completions, and dedicated zonal injectors to control conformance in
injection wells have all been used for water management with varying degrees of technical
and economic success.

Saturation data from the cased-hole logs are also used to track lateral and vertical changes in
water saturation over time. This information is used for long-term reservoir management
activities including: generating development plans for individual reservoirs, flow units, and
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
Africa Session, Forum 23 poster

fault blocks; optimizing voidage replacement in individual flow units and fault blocks; and
tracking the waterflood frontal advance in individual flow units. Figure 8 shows a comparison
of the flood front location of the Upper Vermelha waterflood from cased-hole logs and from
the current reservoir simulation model in an individual flow unit.

Historically, reservoir management in the Block 0 Concession has been very proactive. The
history of the Takula Field discussed in this paper contains many “firsts” for the Angolan oil
industry, including:
1) Well 122-01X: first well drilled in Cabinda (July 1958)
2) Well 96-01X: first offshore well drilled in Angola (July 1966)
3) Upper Vermelha reservoir: first waterflood in Angola (December 1990)
4) Well TK-F8: first single-lateral well drilled in Angola (October 1992)
5) Takula Field: first giant oil field in Angola (December 1995)
6) Takula Field: first tracer injection in Angola (1995)
7) Well TK-A12: first dual-lateral well drilled in Angola (January 1998)
8) Well TK-N4: first quad-lateral well drilled in Angola (August 1999)
9) Mesa reservoir: first all-lateral reservoir development and all-lateral waterflood in Angola
(August 1999)
10) Takula Field: first use of the RMT tool (slim-hole C/O logging tool) in Angola and possibly
the world. This tool was developed and built to Takula Field specifications. The Takula
Field was the pilot for this tool.2
To ensure further success of the field and the concession, these technological achievements
will need to continue into the future.
One of the greatest challenges in the Takula Field is the optimization of production through
mature, at-capacity infrastructure. Many of the facilities still employed in the field have been in
service since first-oil and were designed and constructed with then-current technology. In
addition, these facilities were installed prior to many of the discoveries, expansions, and sub-
surface technological advancements described in this paper. While these discoveries,
expansions, and technological advancements have been an economic success to the field,
they have presented significant demands on the in-place infrastructure.
Presently, wells in the Takula Field are routinely shut-in due to water handling limits and
environmental discharge concerns. A major facilities upgrade is currently being implemented
in the Greater Takula Area to increase the handling capacity and improve the produced water
The Takula Field: A History of Angola's First Giant Oil Field
Africa Session, Forum 23 poster

quality. Also, the 2004 concession contract stipulates that Block 0 will be a flare-free
operation by year-end 2006. To achieve this goal, a Block 0 Gas Management team has been
formed to develop projects related to the collection, treatment, injection, storage, and
monetization of gas produced from the concession. Finally, members of the Block 0
Association are partnering with other Angolan based oil companies in the Angola Liquefied
Natural Gas (LNG) project. In April 2005, contracts were awarded for front-end engineering
and design for the LNP project.

Summary
For the present, it is difficult to assess the true value of the Takula Field to the Republic of
Angola, the Angolan oil industry, and the Block 0 Concession. This value goes far beyond the
cumulative oil produced from the field. Due to the economies of scale, infrastructure put into
service to support production from the field is used to support production from smaller or
poorer quality satellite fields. For example, the discovery well for the N’Sano Field was drilled
from the Takula O-Jacket, N’Sano development wells have also been drilled from the Takula
O-Jacket, injection water from Takula WIP has been used for waterfloods of other fields in the
concession, gas lift from Takula ALP is used to assist wells in other fields, oil produced from
new discoveries is exported through the onshore storage/export system, and personnel
residing on TAP look after other Block 0 fields on a day-to-day basis. Many marginal fields
and reservoirs in Block 0 would not have been economically viable had Takula infrastructure
not been available for support.
Also, as stated earlier, the Takula Field has made an excellent “laboratory” for the application
of state-of-the-art and emerging technologies. The lessons learned and best practices from
the successful, and sometimes unsuccessful, application of these technologies have been
applied throughout Block 0 and, eventually, other Angolan blocks.
For the future, the management of the Takula Field will be just as challenging as it has been
in the past. The field is expected to be on production beyond 2025. Initiatives are currently
being implemented to modernize and upgrade the infrastructure that was installed in the
1980’s and 1990’s, and further upgrade projects are already “in the pipeline.” If the history of
the field is any indication, then these new challenges will be successfully met by the Block 0
Partnership. While it may be difficult to quantify the true value of the field to the Republic of
Angola, what can be stated is that by any measure the Takula Field is a world class oil field.

Acknowledgements
We thank the managements of the member companies of the Block 0 Association (Sonangol,
CABGOC, Total Petroleum Angola Limited, and ENI Angola Production B.V.) for their
permission to present this work. We also thank our colleagues, too numerous to mention by
name, for their many valuable insights and contributions.

References
1. Dale, C. T., Lopes, J. R., and Abilo, S.: “Takula Oil Field and the Greater Takula Area, Cabinda,
Angola,” Giant Oil and Gas Fields of the Decade, 1978-1988, Ed. Halbouty, M. T. AAPG
(September 9-12, 1990)
2. King, G. R. and Littlefield, L. D.: “The Takula Field: Angola’s Most Prolific Oil Field” Revista Energia,
Angola Special Edition (2002)
3. Takula Field Reserve, Rate, and Development Plan, Internal CABGOC Report (October 1982)
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Exploration and Production Co., Houston Technology Center, Houston, TX (August 1983)
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Murdoch, R. S., and Humphrey, M.: “Takula Field: Data Acquisition, Interpretation, and Integration
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7. Reservoir Study of the Takula Field, Cabinda, Angola, West Africa, Report prepared by DeGolyer
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Internal CABGOC Report (May 2003)
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Africa Session, Forum 23 poster

10. Carr, B. S. and Abdelmalek, N. A.: Takula Upper Vermelha Simulation Study 1987, Report No.
PSD880011, Chevron Geosciences Co, Houston, TX (December 1987)
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EPAD910037, Chevron Exploration and Production Services Company, Houston, TX (September
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12. Twenty-Fifth Quarterly Technical Meeting, Development Projects, Luanda Angola, Internal
CABGOC Report (October 9-10, 1987) p. 3.
13. Hogg, W. C. and MacKenzie, A.: “A New Low Risk Technique of Forming A Level 6 (TAML)
Multilateral Junction,” paper SPE 50664, presented at the 1998 SPE European Petroleum
Conference, The Hague (October 20-22, 1998)
14. Sullivan, M. J. , Stewart, W. F., and Belanger, D. L.: “Use of Carbon/Oxygen Logs Run in Open
Hole in Wells Drilled with Oil-Based Muds,” SPE Reservoir Evaluation and Engineering (February
2002) p. 60.