With an investment of US$ 115 million, Petrobras Bolivia (35%, the operator of the San Antonio Block), in partnership with YPFB Andina (50%) and Total (15%), inaugurated the third natural gas processing unit at the Sábalo Gas Plant.
This undertaking materializes the commitments made for the second phase of the Development Plan approved for the Sábalo field, which includes the drilling of three wells (SBL-7, SBL-8 and SBL-9), the first of which went on stream last December. The other two are expected to start producing in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
The Plan, which had a total cost of approximately US$ 300 million to be implemented, also called for the revamp of the existing trains I and II. Since January 2011, the project allowed gas production to be increased by 15%, equivalent to more than 2 million cubic meters per day (MMm³/d).
Together with the two existing trains, the Third Train at the Sábalo Gas Plant eliminates contaminants and separates and stabilizes the gas before it is delivered to YPFB which, in turn, supplies the product to both the domestic and foreign markets. The processing capacity is 6.7 MMm³/d. With the plant coming on stream, production at the San Antonio Block rose to 17 MMm³/d in January 2012. As of next June, when well SBL-8 is scheduled for completion, the production volume will reach 19 MMm³/d.
[mappress]
LNG World News Staff, March 9, 2012