BOURBON takes up position in Senegal

Since 2014, BOURBON has supported the British operator, Cairn, in its exploration off the coast of Senegal. The area is gradually revealing its wealth and unveiling opportunities which an increasing number of operators are interested in. Story.

Over 20 years after the last drilling on an oil & gas field in Senegal, Cairn has made 2 important discoveries there, benefiting from BOURBON's experties each time.

"We have supported our client since the start of their operations in the country," explains Guillaume Lhote, Contracts Manager. In fact, for the launch of its very first drilling campaign in April 2014, the operator chose a vessel from the group. "The company was attracted to our offering, combining competitiveness, quality, and safety. The Bourbon Topaz was dispatched on site for the occasion," he adds. This PSV, with a deck area of nearly 1,000 m², is dedicated to transporting offshore drilling and production equipment. With her 4,925 tons of deadweight, she's also the biggest PSV in the BOURBON fleet.

Today, Cairn operates 3 exploration blocks off Dakar (Sangomar Deep Offshore, Sangomar Offshore, and Rufisque Offshore). Estimated resources? Over 1 billion barrels of crude.

3 PSV vessels and 1 ROV

After a 1^st successful collaboration, BOURBON has again provided its expertise and supported its client for a 2^nd mission: evaluating a field located in the Rufisque Block, at a depth of 1,600 meters. Underway since October 2015, the campaign consists of evaluating the commercial viability of the field, over a 9 month period. "The prospects are promising. We hope that drilling operations will be conducted by late 2016, and we will be there!" says an enthusiastic Guillaume Lhote. Production is expected to begin in 2021. To be continued...

For this second mission in Senegal, BOURBON provided its 3 PSVs, one of which is equipped with an ROV and other antipollution equipment. "The provision of an ROV and an antipollution system on board our vessels ensures that the client has a rapid intervention in the event of an accident at depth or accidental pollution," explains Guillaume Lhote.

Aboard each of the 3 vessels are 13 crew members. "Norwegians and Filipinos, they are all very experienced. A more lasting installation in the territory will force us to recruit local seafarers, however".

in the right place at the right time

Today, Cairn salutes BOURBON's operational excellence. "Our client is very satisfied with our collaboration and appreciates the work done in partnership."

Between these discoveries and the more recent discovery of a natural gas deposit on the border with Mauritania by the US company, Kosmos Energy, the offshore prospects in Senegal look promising. "We started with nothing, and find ourselves with some potentially very large deposits today. Thanks to our responsiveness, the relevance of our offering, and our successful partnership, we are now very well positioned to seize all the opportunities of the Senegalese market," concludes Guillaume Lhote.