West African Deep Water:Development Prospects In A Global Context

Abstract

At the end of 1999 there were 233 offshore oil and gas fields in production in the West African region between Angola and the Ivory Coast. These fields currently produce some 3.1 million barrels of liquids per day. The region thus bears itself well in comparison with other shallow water areas of the world such as the North Sea and South East Asia. But it is the immense promise of the giant deepwater 'elephant' fields that is fuelling the current boom in exploration and development in the region and raising the levels of investment coming into it.