PA Resources vessel didon fso is back in operation in tunisia

PA Resources’ Vessel Didon FSO is Back in Operation at The Didon Field

10-05-2007

PA Resources’ own vessel Didon FSO has been connected to the production system and put into operation at the Didon field in Tunisia. This gives PA Resources significant increased profitability from the field, due to lower costs and higher storage capacity, as well as increased security of production.

The oil and gas group PA Resources AB has successfully completed the last step of the Phase 2 of the Didon project in Tunisia, as the company’s own vessel Didon FSO (Floating Storage and Offloading) has returned to the Didon-field after a refit in the Malta Dry-dock Shipyard. The work in Malta comprised of a major service and refit to the 465,000 barrel FSO. Most significantly the vessel underwent a dry-docking and class inspection which means that she can now stay on the field until at least the year 2013.

The switch over of the ships has been a complex operation requiring close proximity of large vessels and some considerable loads and forces. The operation of connecting the heavy TCMS riser chain to Didon also required a period of very good weather and it has now been achieved. Production has resumed onto the Didon vessel and it will ramp up over the next few days to the full production level.

“We are very pleased to have Didon FSO back on the Didon-field. It gives PA Resources significant benefits, such as a higher storage capacity, a considerably reduced amount of marine offloading operations, an increased security of production and an increased profitability from the field due to lower costs. Now we can focus on extending the production plateau of the Didon field with the development drilling campaign commencing in January”, says Ulrik Jansson, President and CEO at PA Resources.

PA Resources has terminated the contracts concerning the hire of the earlier used vessels –'96 the FSO MV Melide and the tanker Stena Provence.