Houston-based BPZ Energy signed short-term contracts with the commercial side of the Peruvian Navy to lease two tankers to transport oil to market that is going to be produced earlier than scheduled from the Corvina field offshore Peru. The two tankers leased from the Navy each have capacity of approximately 6,000 barrels. With the current production facilities on the field and the two tankers, BPZ expects to produce approximately 2,500 b/d beginning in early November, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

BPZ earlier leased two barges to use as floating production, storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs). The vessels are currently being outfitted with equipment in the port of Paita, Peru, but they have encountered some delays due to scheduling, necessitating the use of the tankers.

The two barges, Nomoku and Nu'uanu, each have a capacity of approximately 40,000 barrels. Nomoku will be used as an FPSO moored at the CX11 platform, while Nu'uanu will be used to transport oil between the Corvina field on Block Z-1 in northwest Peru and the refinery in Talara, Peru, approximately 70 miles (113 km) south of the company's operations. BPZ expects to ramp up production from 2,500 b/d to approximately 4,000 b/d using Nomoku and Nu'uanu when they become available, which is now expected to be towards the end of this year or early next year.