Italian offshore contractor Saipem and offshore contracting giant TechnipFMC have been awarded work on the greenlit Greater PAJ project offshore Angola by Azule Energy, the joint venture between Eni and BP, according to Splash247.
Saipem’s contract is mainly for transportation and installation services for the project, located approximately 200 km off the coast of Angola. The contract, with a duration of around 40 months, is worth $1bn. According to the Italian firm, the Greater PAJ project represents one of the most significant ultra-deepwater developments in sub-Saharan Africa.
Saipem's Subsea Scope
Saipem’s scope of work entails the engineering, fabrication, transportation, and installation of approximately 180 km of rigid pipelines and subsea facilities at water depths up to 2,000 m. The contract also includes the transportation and installation of 38 km of flexible flowlines and jumpers and 54 km of umbilicals. Fabrication activities will be carried out at Saipem’s Ambriz yard in Angola, involving local companies and the local workforce. For the offshore installation campaign, Saipem plans to deploy its construction vessels FDS and Castorone.
TechnipFMC's Flexible Riser Contract
The contract awarded to TechnipFMC is for the provision of flexible flowlines and risers. The company will design and manufacture flexible flowlines and risers to connect wells in water depths approaching 2,000 m to a new floating production unit. No precise financial details were revealed. However, the company described the contract as significant, placing it in the $75m to $250m range. The award will be included in inbound orders in the second quarter of 2026.
Greater PAJ Project Overview and Production Outlook
Eni and BP, through Azule Energy, announced the final investment decision for the project on Monday. The project is operated by Azule, the company equally owned by Eni and BP, with Sonangol E&P and Equinor as partners. With first oil expected in less than three years, in the first half of 2029, the project brings together five offshore fields across two blocks – Pala, Astraea, Juno, Urano, and Dione.
The overall development concept consists of 17 wells connected to a new floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit with a nameplate capacity of 95,000 barrels of oil per day and a gas export capacity of 70m cubic feet of gas per day, which will be delivered to the ALNG plant via a new gas export line tied to the existing Block 31 gas export network.
| Key Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project | Greater PAJ, offshore Angola |
| Operator | Azule Energy (Eni 50%, BP 50%) |
| Partners | Sonangol E&P, Equinor |
| Saipem contract value | $1bn |
| TechnipFMC contract value | $75m – $250m |
| Saipem scope | 180 km rigid pipelines, 38 km flexible flowlines, 54 km umbilicals |
| Saipem vessels | FDS and Castorone |
| Water depth | Up to 2,000 m |
| Fields | Pala, Astraea, Juno, Urano, Dione |
| Number of wells | 17 |
| FPSO oil capacity | 95,000 bpd |
| FPSO gas capacity | 70m cf/d |
| First oil target | First half of 2029 |
The contracts underpin a significant addition to Angola's oil production capacity, with the new FPSO alone capable of adding nearly 100,000 bpd. For commodity traders, this represents a tangible increase in non-OPEC+ supply from a region with deepwater potential, though the timeline to first oil remains several years out. The involvement of major oil services companies like Saipem and TechnipFMC also signals confidence in the viability of ultra-deepwater developments in the region.
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