Sangomar FPSO Construction Starts in China

The conversion of a VLCC into an FPSO bound for Woodside's Sangomar project in Senegal has recently kicked off in China, the Australian oil firm said in a recent report.

The 323 meters-long very large crude carrier (VLCC) Astipal in February arrived in China, where it will, in Woodside's words, undergo "a metamorphosis" into the floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) facility for the Sangomar field. 

Japanese firm MODEC is responsible for the delivery of the FPSO for the Sangomar field, Senegal's first offshore oil development. The FPSO conversion will take around two years. 

The FPSO has so far been referred to as simply the Sangomar FPSO, after the name of the field where it will be deployed. According to Woodside, the FPSO now has a name, FPSO Léopold Sédar Senghor. The vessel was named after Senegal’s first president from 1960 to 1980.

The Sangomar field, containing both oil and gas, is located 100 km south of Dakar, Senegal’s capital, and will be the country’s first offshore oil development. 

First oil production from the FPSO Léopold Sédar Senghor is targeted in 2023, with the Sangomar Field Development Phase 1 targeting approximately 230 million barrels of crude oil, at an initial peak rate of 100,000 Bbls /day. The FPSO will be moored in approximately 780 meters water depth. Credit: Woodside