Strategic Optimization of the Amenam-Kpono Offshore Development
Client: TotalEnergies
Location: Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Duration: January 2001 – January 2005
Sector: Energy
Executive Challenge
TotalEnergies initiated the Amenam-Kpono Project—a $1.5B strategic offshore development critical to strengthening its leadership in Nigeria’s upstream sector. The project faced significant technical and operational complexities, including:
Deeply buried sandstone reservoirs under high-temperature and high-pressure (HPHT) conditions
Highly deviated and extended-reach wells with departures of up to 3 kilometres
Elevated gas-oil ratios exceeding 500 m³/m³
Reservoir fluids with high concentrations of paraffin and carbon dioxide
Success demanded sustained reservoir pressure, operational risk mitigation, cost optimization, and the delivery of first oil within an aggressive timeline—all while navigating intense stakeholder expectations and regulatory scrutiny.
Strategic Leadership Approach
Spearheading the Well Completion and Reservoir Drilling Advisory mandate, Mike Etuhoko led the deployment of an integrated strategy anchored in technological innovation, operational discipline, and leadership development:
Strategic Reservoir Management: Designed and executed a reservoir strategy focused on maintaining pressure, maximizing hydrocarbon recovery, and targeting high gas injection rates through optimized wellbore architectures. Reservoir continuity and pressure support were validated through successful interference testing, de-risking field development.
Operational Innovation: Embedded interventionless well designs to simplify current and future operations, enhance cost efficiency, and safeguard well integrity under HPHT conditions—setting a new performance benchmark for the region.
Leadership Development and Knowledge Transfer: Championed the mentoring of multidisciplinary teams on advanced well design and operational innovation, strengthening internal technical capabilities and embedding a culture of continuous improvement and innovation across TotalEnergies’ offshore operations.
Global Thought Leadership: Co-authored and published SPE Paper #90760, advancing industry-wide best practices in well technology and reservoir optimization, and reinforcing TotalEnergies’ reputation as a technical leader.
Results & Business Impact
First Oil Successfully Delivered: Elevated TotalEnergies to the position of the third-largest oil producer in Nigeria, securing a significant strategic advantage in West Africa’s offshore sector.
Operational and Financial Excellence: Captured over $12M in operational savings through strategic completions optimization and eliminated over $90K per well in intervention costs via innovative valve and packer deployments.
World-Class Safety Record: Maintained a zero-incident safety record throughout the full lifecycle of project delivery—demonstrating leadership in operational risk management.
Sustained Strategic Value Creation: Strengthened TotalEnergies’ offshore asset performance, deepened organizational technical resilience, and reinforced its regional technical leadership position.
Protekz Core Values in Action
Empowerment: Built lasting operational excellence through mentorship, cross-functional collaboration, and capability building.
Impact: Delivered significant financial returns, operational risk mitigation, and technological innovation that enhanced long-term asset value.
Fulfillment: Advanced global energy excellence and contributed meaningfully to sustainable development and energy security.
Client Testimonial
“I was nominated Drilling and Wells Manager within EPNL in Nigeria between 2002 and 2005. And I was lucky and privileged to work with Mike who was in charge of well completion during that period. His high technical knowledge, his string dedication, his team-spirit were extremely appreciated and contributed highly to the success of Amenam development and the series of intensive and successful exploration and appraisal wells (USAN2, 3, 4 then 5, 6, 7 and 8, PREOWEI 1 and 2, EGINA 1 and 2). Mike was a very hard worker, ready to embark with important and new challenges. And in addition, always with a large smile, contributing to generate good and positive atmosphere within the Team. I followed, remotely, his impressive career path. And I’m proud to be solicited to provide my very positive feedback and strong recommendation to Mike Etuhoko.”
