Angolan Angolan ISSUE 11 AUTUMN 2006 AUTUMN 11 ISSUE RECOGNITION: RECOGNITION: ■ ■ the Benguela Railway gathers steam the Benguela Railway gathers steam CULTURE | RECONSTRUCTION: RECONSTRUCTION: BUSINESS ■ ■ | OIL | ANGOLA Sonangol’s new super-subsidiary takes control new super-subsidiary Sonangol’s Sonangol’s new super-subsidiary takes control new super-subsidiary Sonangol’s niverso U conservation scheme receives award REORGANISATION: REORGANISATION: conservation scheme receives award

SONANGOL UNIVERSO ISSUE 11 – AUTUMN 2006

ISSUE 11 AUTUMN 2006

INSIDE SONANGOL INSIDE ANGOLA High Profile In so many ways the 8 profile of Angola seems to be assuming a greater 20 Family Planning 46 We Are Sailing prominence in the glob- Many of the core values held by Angolans The Bay of Luanda, shielded al arena: a conservation TENTS spring from family life – and just like other by the long arm of the Ilha project for the palanca families, Sonangol is constantly adapting to peninsula, makes a near- negra, the country’s ensure its wellbeing and efficiency perfect environment in which national emblem, has eager young people can to received international learn to sail recognition at Britain’s 34 National Geographic Society; plans for Luanda’s 46 new international airport are beginning to take CON 8 Global Team Players shape; and the national airline is investing mas- 34 Bountiful Land sively to renew its fleet. The ability to draw on a worldwide pool of Kwanza Sul is a land of The continuing high price of oil on world expertise and experience, plus the bonus of beauty where the waters markets has ensured that interest in the off- well-trained local staff, is driving BP’s deep- team with fish, the jungles shore industry continues to be buoyant, with water success offshore Angola are home to many unique production rising steadily as more deepwater species and the fertile soil produces crops in abundance resources are discovered. 20 Following the recent dramatic Block bid- ding round – a process conducted in a climate Sonangol Rua 1° Congresso do MPLA, 24 Fit for Purpose 40 of transparency – renewed interest is also being N.º 8-16 Halliburton, one of the most respected names shown in the possibilities of onshore finds. Caixa Postal 1316, Luanda 50 Royal Recognition among energy industry professionals, offers Angola continues to be a nursery for cutting- República de Angola When conservationist Pedro Tel: +244 2 391 182 service and technology in depth to maintain edge energy technology, developed by Fax: +244 2 391 782 Vaz Pinto received a major its leading position in Angola’s competitive international companies which increasingly Telex: 2089 SONANG AN international award in London offshore oil fields [email protected] recently it was in recognition recognise the quality of the local workforce. Sonangol USA (Sonusa) of his significant work to As a 19th century vision, the Caminho de 1177 Enclave Parkway ensuring the survival of Ferro Benguela was once new technology itself: Second Floor 14 Houston,TX 77077 Angola’s national emblem a 1,300km railway line linking central Africa USA with the sea. Thanks to a massive reconstruc- Tel: +1 281 920 7600 14 Pipe Dream Fax: +1 281 920 7666 tion programme, soon the wagons will roll [email protected] The successful completion of Sevenseas again on new tracks. And to judge by the pop- Angola’s first contract at its new Sonils spool- Sonangol UK 40 When the Whistles ularity of the still-working parts of the network, Merevale House base brings another important fabrication the Benguela Railway will quickly resume its Brompton Place Sound Again service involving a high degree of local con- place as one of the great railways of Africa. London SW3 1QE tent to the oil service centre The $300 million project to United Kingdom In gentler fashion, life in the provinces – Tel: +44 207 838 4600 rebuild the Benguela Railway Fax: +44 207 589 9454 will restore a vital link such as the timelessly rural Kwanza Sul – contin- Telex: 893212 SONANG 28 24 between Angola’s Atlantic ues its measured pace, while on the waters of Sonangol Asia seaport of Lobito and its vast Luanda Bay young people learn to sail. 3 Temasek Avenue central African hinterland 31-04 Centennial Tower 28 Coming Ashore The Editor Singapore 039190 As Angola’s offshore oil extraction climbs Tel: : +65 64 16 3583 50 Fax: +65 64 16 3582 towards 2 million barrels per day, excitement is building among prospectors seeking hydro- Sonangol Department for Communication & Image –– Director: João Rosa Santos; Corporate Communications Assistant: Cristina de Novaes carbons in three of the country’s onshore This magazine is produced for Sonangol by Impact Media Global Ltd, 53 Chandos Place, London WC2N 4HS, UK, Tel: +44 20 7812 6400~ Fax: +44 20 7812 6413 provinces Publisher: Sheila O’Callaghan; Group President: John Charles Gasser; Project Consultant: Nathalie MacCarthy Editor: Peter Moeller; Sub-editor: Ron Gribble; Art Director: Lisa Pampillonia; Advertising Design: Bernd Wojtczack; Circulation Manager: Tony Adkins Contributors: Karen Iley, Bruce McMichael, Jaime Azulay, André Mukuaxi; Cover Image: PMP Global All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical without prior permission in writing from the publishers. [email protected]

4 SONANGOL UNIVERSO NEWS IN BRIEF

Angola is considering joining Louisiana Purchase New Signing Block 5 Shoot OPEC. Speaking informally at an One of the first issues to overcome when building one of Brazil’s state oil company Independent US oil company Vaalco OPEC meeting this year, oil minis- the world’s newest LNG plants is finding enough cus- Petrobras has signed up to the Block Energy will pay $8.4 million for the explo- ter Desiderio Costa said that not tomers to make its development viable. Putting an end 18 exploration consortium alongside ration rights of shallow water Block 5 in only for Angola but also for all oil to gas flaring offshore Angola by converting it Sinopec and Sonangol. Petrobras Angola’s offshore Kwanza arena, which it producing countries, “it’s good to into LNG is a hurdle Sonangol, Chevron now holds an interest in six blocks, of will operate in partnership with Interoil join OPEC”. Although the subject and partners in the Angola LNG which Block 2 is a production block, and Sonangol. As part of the deal Vaalco has been raised at OPEC, no deci- Project, BP, ExxonMobil and Total, while the others are exploratory. The will shoot a seismic study in the block and sion is expected in the short term. are set to clear. company will perform as an operator sink at least two exploration wells. Earlier The group is planning to in three of these blocks: 6, 26, exploration on the block iden- Angola has invited Indian ship its LNG production to and in the remaining area of tified several oil reservoirs, firms to explore for oil including Gulf LNG, developer of the Block 18. This latter block is considered at the time to state company ONGC Videsh, the clean energy “regasification” located in deepwater and is be uneconomic. Using subcontinent’s most important facility near Pascagoula, known to contain oil reserves state-of- overseas energy investor. Louisiana, following a competi- of around 750 million barrels, the-art seismic technology, Although ONGC failed to win a tive tender. Angola LNG is which belong to a different Vaalco is optimistic that it place in the Block 18 development currently talking to various shipyards consortium. In line with its will be able to find com- line-up, it is still keen to gain a with a view to building up to seven global strategic plan, Petrobras mercially viable oil deposits presence offshore Angola and LNG tankers. is seeking to increase its explo- in the block, its first become a long-term player. It is estimated that annual LNG volumes to be shipped ration activities in Angola. Angolan project. will be around 5 million tonnes, with the raw gas The Angola/China joint ven- sourced from Sonangol’s offshore blocks 0, 1, 2, 14, ture between Sonangol Sinopec 15, 17 and 18. The Angola LNG Project is set to be a joint develop- International (SSI) and ment between Sonangol, Chevron, Esso, Total and BP. Sonangol has secured two impor- SantaFe Quest tant non–operating stakes in the Contracts for development and exploration drilling in the Gimboa field Block 4 have been relinquished parts of deepwater awarded to GlobalSantaFe which will use its semi–submersible Aleutian Key for the work. blocks 17 and 18. SSI also propos- Norsk Hydro, a long-standing supporter of Angola’s upstream energy sector, is Sonangol’s major es to build a 240,000 bpd partner in the block which lies in 700 metres of water. Other contracts that will help Sonangol tap refinery in Angola. into the 50 million barrels of oil estimated to lie in the block have been awarded to Technip and Aker ILLUSTRATIONS: GREG GRIGORIOU Kizomba Start-up Kvaerner. Esso Angola has started work Dynamic Industries, the Italian contractor Saipem is to lease an FPSO for Sonangol to develop the $400 million field. The on its Kizomba C deepwater devel- largest privately–held US fabrica- vessel will be designed to handle 100,000 bpd of crude, with initial production scheduled for opment some 370km to the north tion and construction firm December 2007. working in the Gulf of Mexico, is west of Luanda. This huge project creating a new partnership with is eventually expected to pump local Angolan company 200,000 bpd. Kizomba C will First Oil Petroservices Lda to serve both develop the Mondo, Saxi and Chevron has begun oil pro- the onshore and offshore energy Batuque fields which will cost an duction at its Lobito field offshore Drop in the Ocean sectors. estimated $3.8bn to bring on Angola. The Lobito field is part of This year’s offshore Angola licensing round sparked global inter- stream. Lying in Block 15, Kizomba the Benguela, Belize, Lobito and est after it was revealed that Italian oil company Eni had offered a Angola and its northern C will be developed using an Tombaco (BBLT) development, $902m signature bonus for the relinquished parts of Block 15. neighbour the Democratic extensive network of subsea wells one of Chevron’s “Big Five” proj- Yet, with estimated reserves totalling hundreds of millions of Republic of Congo have agreed and two FPSOs. The FPSOs are ects around the world. First oil barrels of oil still lying in the field, this payment is almost plans to jointly explore the planned for Mondo with a second from the Lobito–Tomboco project insignificant – especially in relation to the huge overall project prospective Congo Interior Basin. on Saxi/Batuque. Drilling is expect- flowed in early June. Oil produc- costs, which include infrastructure development, extraction, taxes The search for hydrocarbons is ed to start in early 2007 with tion from subsea is predicted to and royalties. However, signature bonuses can be a sensitive issue centred between Block 14 south production peaking at a predicted peak in 2008 at 200,000 bpd. because they are a one-off cost that cannot be recovered from pro- and Block 15 north offshore 350,000 bpd. First oil is set for BBLT lies 80km offshore Angola in duction, but as such are reliable indicators of an exploration Angola. early 2008. 400m of water. company’s expectations.

6 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 7 DEVELOPMENT Global Team Players

The ability to draw on a worldwide pool of expertise and experience, plus the bonus of well-trained local staff, is driving BP’s deepwater success offshore Angola

In about nine months from now, first oil is due to flow from PU-PF – the first well to achieve completion in BP’s Greater Plutónio field offshore Angola. But this will not be quite “first oil”. IOn February 6, following completion of the well flow test two weeks earlier, the BP team aboard the semi-submersible drilling rig Sedco Express were jubilant as a tongue of flame from the flare tower at last signalled success – with well data indicating an unex- pectedly high flow-rate of 9,000 bpd of light crude. “Our tests on this well, our smallest Greater Plutónio target, have yielded a welcome surprise,” said Graham Stewart, BP source development manager. “It indicates that the well will be 30 per cent more productive than initially anticipated. Maximum production capacity is expected to be more than 28,000 bpd – world class by any standards.” The second Plutónio completion and well flow test – on PU- PG on April 6 – produced an even more spectacular result, suggesting 130 per cent greater productivity than initial expecta- tions. In a further gratifying outcome for BP engineers, the mechan- ical skin for both wells (the degree of damage to the reservoir caused during the completion process) was zero. Skin damage of between 5 and 20 is normally considered to be a likely best-out- come and this news prompted sand control engineer Kevin Waley to describe the result as “world class, given the high degree of per- meability of the formation”. PU-PF was spudded (when the drilling actually begins) on June 16, 2005, marking the start of the campaign to drill 44 subsea

8 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 9 crude oil from its reservoirs 2,000m to 3,000m Paládio, Cobalto, Crómio fields with Césio This web of piping, manifolds and well- below the seabed of Block 18 was set in being a potential future tieback. The group will head equipment across the ocean floor to Heavenly motion. eventually be served by a cluster of wells at facilitate the delivery of crude oil to the FPSO Even though the actual environment of water depths of 1,200m to 1,500m. from wells spread out over an area the size of Angola’s equatorial waters is not especially After much deliberation on development, Greater London will require the services of a Twins hostile – as in the North Sea or Gulf of Mexico the partners, BP and Shell* and Sonangol as small fleet of construction vessels, with sup- – almost every project here works at the edge concessionaire, decided on a single FPSO porting crews of technicians and engineers. of developed technology. So fast does this (floating production, storage and offloading “In contrast to the FPSO which has been The Greater Plutónio technology advance that, even a few months vessel), which would be centrally located in constructed in Korea, with many of its compo- accumulation is located in later, it is accepted almost as a commonplace the Plutónio/Paládio/Cobalto triangle, to nents coming from all over the world, a large by the engineers and contractors involved. which the more distant Crómio and Gálio proportion of the Greater Plutónio subsea the south west of Block 18, All this is possible thanks to the expertise fields could be linked by a 21km flowline. equipment is being produced right here in which covers 4,880sq.km of the many teams in different parts of the In 2004 the main development contracts Angola,” says Jack Przekop, BP Angola Block 18 of the Atlantic Ocean some world who are responsible for delivering the were finally signed. Kellogg Brown & Root project logistics co-ordinator. “The in-field 150km from the Angolan diverse hardware and mechanical systems (KBR) were charged with the engineering and umbilicals for subsea production are being coast, to depths varying which will eventually operate the field – equip- procurement of topsides facilities, and produced by Angoflex, and other items such as ment which once in situ must work Hyundai Heavy Industries netted the FPSO. the manifolds, suction piles, riser tower and from 500m to1,600m. It trouble-free in the inaccessible depths in The umbilicals, risers and flowlines (URF) con- remote loading buoy at the Sonamet fabrica- includes the Plutónio, Gálio, which it is placed. tract was won by Acergy (formerly Stolt) and tion centre in Lobito.” Paládio, Cobalto, and These groups are committed to meeting Crómio fields with Césio tight schedules on time, with high safety stan- being a potential future tie- dards, and include individuals who see their “Our tests on this well, our smallest Greater Plutónio target, latest problem as today’s challenge. Not least have yielded a welcome surprise that indicates that the well back. The field will of the obstacles is the need to communicate will be 30 per cent more productive than initially eventually be served by a between centres of operation, between people cluster of 44 wells at water who may never have met except by email or anticipated.” depths of 1,200m to conference call. Graham Stewart, Source Development Manager, BP 1,500m. As one of the most experienced upstream companies in the world, BP has had a pres- Partners: BP ence offshore Angola since the mid-1990s and Technip, SPS with FMC and Transocean pro- Installation of the flowlines is split: The Exploration Angola (opera- is already a partner in blocks 15 and 17. But viding the Sedco Express drilling rig. Acergy Polaris will handle the production lines tor), 50 per cent; Sonangol Block 18 is seen as just the beginning for BP as Nine months from first oil, a visit to BP’s using the new J-lay system (see page 17) while Sinopec International, 50 an operator in the region – with the massive 82,500 sq.m sites at the Sonils Oil Service Technip, working out of the newly commis- per cent. potential of Block 31 waiting in the wings. Centre in Luanda has something of the lull sioned Dande Spoolbase, will use the Deep This position springs from the consolida- before the storm about it. In reality the tension Blue installation vessel. tion of BP and Amoco assets following their is more akin to a tightly wound spring, as the “At the moment some of this work Block 31 extends merger in 1998. “The combination of these facility braces itself for the SURF (subsea involves assembly and testing of items manu- across 5,350sq.km in four blocks, with continued exploration suc- umbilicals, risers and flowlines) installation factured elsewhere – such as Christmas trees depths of 1,500 to 2,500m. cess and development, could see BP as the phase in October, and the arrival of the FPSO by FMC in Dunfermline, Scotland,” Mr The exploration campaign largest operator in Angola by 2012,” says BP scheduled for February next year. Przekop adds. “But our contractor’s workforce Angola Business Unit chief executive Bill “We’ve currently got around 42 staff on in Angola is more than 70 per cent Angolan, continues and ten discover- Shrader. the base,” says Nigel Inglis, BP materials and and it is planned for as much of this to eventu- ies have been made so far. ON SITE: wells. According to wells project manager Paul In fact, BP was one of the first majors to logistics manager. “They largely take care of ally be done at one of our three sites here in It is operated by BP Hyatt, the target is to have up to 15 wells ready recognise the potential of Angola’s deep water. our existing commitments, but by the end of the country.” Exploration Angola (26.67 The first Christmas tree to produce in the second quarter of 2007. “The At the time of the merger, Amoco had already 2007 this number will almost double. Right The third fabrication site is Sonils itself, per cent) on behalf of part- arrived on board the drill ship [Sedco Express] team has worked hard to undertaken some seismic and exploratory now we are running seven service and supply where the permanent guide bases are fabricat- Sedco Express, prior to being become a cohesive unit,” he says. drilling in Block 18, which BP decided to vessels, but when the FPSO arrives, we’ll be ed by Algoa and the production jumpers and ners Esso Exploration run into well CO-PC “Communications between the new Angolan resume. The new campaign delivered six dis- taking on two more, dedicated exclusively to trees for the wellheads by FMC. “We sought Angola (25 per cent), staff and the incumbent ex-pat operatives on coveries of oil and gas in commercial supporting it.” and obtained a far greater input from the local Sonangol P&P (20 per the rig is fantastic.” quantities. Indeed, the moment when the pace will Angolan workforce than initially expected,” cent), Statoil ASA (13.33 “World class” is a phrase that has echoed Greater Plutónio is located in the south ratchet up several gears comes when the says BP URF project manager Duncan Brown. per cent), Marathon (10 per around BP many times since the green light west of Block 18, which covers 4,880sq.km of FPSO’s arrival from the Hyundai yard in “This has meant that we have stayed on track was given to commence work on the Greater the Atlantic Ocean some 150km from the Ulsan, Korea. By this time much of the SURF and on schedule. The manufacturing stan- cent) and TEPA (Block 31) Plutónio project more than three years ago, Angolan coast, to depths varying from 500m to network will be largely in place on the Greater dards in Angola have been high.” Ltd (5 per cent). and the complex operation to extract the 1,600m. It includes the Plutónio, Gálio, Plutónio seabed. When it is securely moored in place, the

10 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 11 “In contrast to the FPSO – which was officially a “ship” for its the refinery by shuttle tankers. Atop its mas- This web of piping, FPSO which has 16,000 miles journey from Korea – becomes sive tanks are several storeys of specialist an offshore facility. As the tip of the Greater plant designed to remove water, salt, associat- manifolds and been constructed in Plutónio iceberg in an almost literal sense, the ed gas and other impurities. The water and wellhead equipment Korea, with many of FPSO will be among the biggest offshore gas will be re-injected to the reservoir to Angola. It has a length of 310m, a beam of maintain pressure. Eventually this gas will be across the ocean its components 58m, weighs in at 55,000dwt, is capable of exported by pipeline to the new liquefied nat- processing an average of 220,000bpd of crude ural gas plant to be built at Soyo. floor facilitates the coming from all and has a storage capacity of 2 million barrels. Once the bare hull had been launched at delivery of crude oil over the world, a Design and planning, which was begun in Hyundai’s yard, the next stage was to mount 2004, has involved careful teamwork, resulting the 12 specialist modules weighing a total of to the FPSO from large proportion of in an almost flawless delivery programme 24,000 tonnes – the heaviest an incredible thus far, from the laying of the keel in Ulsan in 2,468 tonnes. A feature of the programme was wells spread out the Greater February 2005 to securing the massive anchor the degree of completion work done prior to over an area the size Plutónio subsea cables offshore Angola. the module being lifted in place, which An FPSO is a floating factory, unique to allowed for pre-commissioning on the quay- of Greater London equipment is being offshore oil extraction, which processes and side, thus saving time and money, and holds the crude in preparation for delivery to involving no clashes or safety incidents during produced right here in Angola.” ON BOARD: The riser tower is secured for needs of the oil industry and other indus- it’s journey to Block 18 Jack Przekop, Project Logistics BP ANGOLA tries will put on the local skilled labour PHOTOS: BP ANGOLA Co-ordinator (Block 18) BV, market and is making efforts to address BP Angola Business Unit these needs through a broad initiative the programme. This was achievable due PARTNERS By the end of the decade, BP will have with Agostinho Neto University to boost to close co-operation with the contractor invested more than $8 billion in its Angola the number of engineering and geo-sci- and one “which makes our FPSO world Holding (%) projects, by which time its 40-year class for performance,” says FPSO integra- ence graduates by offering open bursaries Block 15 involvement with the country will be tion manager Bill Fyvie. to students and technical and financial Esso Exploration Angola (operator) 40.0 bearing generous fruit. But as the momentum builds towards support to the university. BP Exploration Angola 26.67 The super-major’s merger with BP’s programmes for community flowing first oil in 2007, there is the aware- Eni Exploration Angola 20.0 Amoco in 1998 brought with it substantial investment are focused around education, ness that Greater Plutónio is possibly but a Statoil ASA 13.33 deepwater interests offshore Angola – at a enterprise, development and access to curtain-raiser for Block 31 and a second time when the country’s hydrocarbon development in Block 18, the Western Area energy. The education initiative with resources were gaining an increasing pro- Development, which in the next ten years Block 17 Agostinho Neto University is one example file on world markets. could see BP Angola become one of the of this. Another is BP’s support for the Total E&P Angola (operator) 40.0 BP Angola has interests in four deep- largest investors and producers in the Supplier Training Initiative, which is part Esso Exploration Angola 20.0 water blocks: 15 and 17 – and 18 and 31 country. of the Sonangol-led Projecto de BP Exploration Angola 16.67 for which it is operator. The Greater This is a future that presents many Desenvolvimento e Participação Nacional, Statoil ASA 13.33 Plutónio field in Block 18 is expected to challenges.“You would be challenged any- and aims to provide training to Angolan Norsk Hydro Angola AS 10.0 flow first oil in the second quarter of 2007. where in the world to grow an oil and gas The company’s deepwater expertise companies to help them do more business company that quickly in an already gained in the Gulf of Mexico and the with the oil sector. stretched industry,” points out Bill Shrader. Block 18 North Sea has been especially tested off- BP also supports a micro-credit pro- “We need to do this not only in an already BP Exploration Angola (operator) 50.0 shore Angola, where its specialist teams gramme in Benguela and Huambo stretched industry, but with Angolans.” Sonangol Sinopec International 50.0 are working with contractors in water provinces to stimulate rural enterprise. BP is committed to the use of local depths of 1,200m to 2,700m. As one of the first to recognise suppliers and service industries. “We have Block 31 Confident of its experience and tech- Angola’s deepwater potential, BP sees the had a presence here for a long time, but BP Exploration Angola (operator) 26.67 country as a highly prospective source of nology to meet this challenge, BP this will really show BP at its best – operat- Sonangol P&P 20.0 currently employs more than 600 staff in oil and gas. Working with local companies ing a large producing field,” says chief Esso Exploration Angola 25.0 its Angolan business, which is expected to and with local educational institutions, BP operating officer Mary Shafer-Maliki. ❖ Statoil ASA 13.33 more than double by 2012. The company also sees Angola as a rich source of skills Marathon 10.0 is well aware of the pressure that the and capabilities. * Shell relinquished its share in Block 18 to Sonangol Sinopec International in 2005. Total E&P Angola 5.0

12 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 13 FABRICATION Pipe Dream

The successful Working from its new 70,000sq.m site at the Sonils oil service centre outside Luanda, completion of Sevenseas Angola Ltd, a subsidiary of global sub- Sevenseas Angola’s Wsea engineering contractor Subsea7, recently completed its first major contract ahead of first contract at its schedule. On February 3, Subsea7’s specialist pipe-lay- new Sonils ing vessel Skandi Navica loaded the first of eight spoolbase brings consignments of pipeline manufactured at the specially constructed plant. The 10km and 20km another important lengths of pipeline were destined for Chevron’s Lobito-Tomboco field in Block 14, some 200km to fabrication service the north. involving a high The fabrication and delivery of 120km of steel pipeline was the first stage of a $270 million degree of local contract to tie back three subsea well centres content to the oil located some 10km from the Benguela-Belize “The schedule compliant production tower. The last consign- service centre ment was loaded 15 weeks later on May 19. was tight and we Around 30 per cent of the project has been executed in-country, mostly by Angolan nationals were breaking with some 80 of them receiving specific training. new ground with Setting up the Sevenseas operation has been a success from the start. “The schedule was tight this project, and we were breaking new ground with this proj- ect, especially in view of the timescale,” says especially in view Jacques Isoard, Sevenseas Angola country man- ager. “Investing in Luanda has allowed us to of the timescale,” optimise the employment of local expertise, which has brought benefits both in quality of Jacques Isoard, workmanship and in skills transfer at the Sonils PMP GLOBAL Country Manager, oil service centre.” Sevenseas Angola. Other offshore work in depths of between

14 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 15 advantage because of the standardi- Well Laid sation of the method used and the absence of local content and invest- ment. Three principal techniques have This method is quite efficient in been perfected for the delicate shallow water (and even more for process of laying subsea pipelines export lines) especially in areas with from vessels, each with specific appli- few other pipelines, where it can be cations for different locations, deployed by low-cost conventional depths and marine environments. anchored barges, without using com- Offshore Angola, these can vary con- plex dynamic positioning systems siderably depending on the location necessary for reel-laying and S-laying. of the block and field

Reel-laying is employed for small to J-laying is a method where multiple medium pipelines up to 450mm in pipe-joint connections are also exe- diameter. However, in general the cuted on a barge using a vertical diameters of flowlines range from tower. It is used exclusively in deep- 200mm to 300mm. Flowlines are in- water. The preparation of the field pipelines of around 2km in multiple joints can be done in-coun- length which are used, for example, try generating some local content, to transfer fluid from a subsea well but this method is less productive to an offshore production platform. than S-laying because the jointing is Export lines are often several tens of not done on line. For deepwater kilometres long and run between a export lines, there are very few S-lay- production platform and an onshore ers having the necessary top tension terminal. Standard 12m lengths of capacity, and Reel-layers are pipe (joints) are welded together penalised by intermediate re-load- onshore into lengths of up to 320m ings, so the J-laying method is half-stalks. Two half stalks are joined always a serious candidate. to make a 640m stalk or string. When sufficient strings have been assembled to make up the flowline Subsea steel pipelines are protected required at the offshore site, they by various methods, depending on PMP GLOBAL are carefully drawn onto the giant their purpose. reelship, pausing only to weld each 400m and 600m includes the fabrication and greater safety and lower cost,” explains Mr shore site, but congestion likely to be caused of the strings together. The reelship Anti-corrosion: a traditional installation of flowline jumpers and connec- Isoard. “There is also the bonus that a large by the build-up for the Rosa and LNG projects can often accommodate several method is the three-layer polypropy- tors, manifolds and distribution units, and number of in-country jobs and other opportu- ruled it out. flowlines in a single operation. lene anti-corrosion coating made up 30km of umbilicals. nities are generated.” Another possibility was the Dande This is the method selected for of an epoxy resin, adhesive and an Engineering and project support has been One of the key factors affecting the Reel- pipeline yard then under construction to the the Lobito-Tomboco project, and the outer sheath of solid high-density provided by Subsea7’s Houston office – but the lay method is the distance the Reel-laying north of Luanda. However, the manufacture of spoolship Skandi Navica can load polypropylene copolymer. The layers award of the contract fulfilled a company vessel has to travel between shore base and Dália pipelines and the Greater Plutónio water continuous lengths of 10m to 40km of the anti-corrosion coating applied pipe depending on its diameter. The objective of establishing a foothold in the offshore site, particularly crucial on this con- injection pipeline had already taken up the to the pipe add a thickness of Angola offshore arena. tract due to the tight schedule. full capacity of the future site. main advantages of Reel-laying are around 3mm. “It was decided to employ Reel-laying “What we were looking for in Angola was a “In fact, the third option – Sonils – was ease of operation (all welding can be technology on this contact,” says Mr Isoard. port with good marine access and facilities, also the best one for our purpose,” says Mr done onshore) and speed of line-lay- Thermal insulation: in addition to “This is a high performance method, whereby backed by adequate space nearby to build the Isoard. “The expansion of the land area here ing as compared to the two other the anti-corrosion layer it may be most of the pipeline manufacture is done fabrication plant and store the 640m welded by dredging was able to provide as much level main methods, J-laying and S-laying. onshore.” pipe lengths (strings) prior to shipment to the ground as we could need within a secure envi- required to add several polypropy- The procedure is particularly suitable for oilfield site,” says Mr Isoard. “Ideally, we need ronment, while its dedicated port facilities S-laying is a method where single lene layers of various types for crude deepwater situations. The alternative so- an area to allow for the preparation of long fitted our needs to perfection.” pipe joint connections are executed flowlines to keep the oil at a high called “J-laying” method, which requires the strings, which means fewer stops to join them Lobito-Tomboco is seen as a major deep- directly on the deck of a barge in an enough temperature to ensure its multiple welding of pipe-joints at sea as the when reeling aboard the vessel.” water project – not least in the challenge it on-line process that minimises local liquidity in a cold environment. The pipeline is put together, is a slower process. Subsea7 had three possibilities to consid- presented to create and operate a new pipe- interaction with the areas where it is overall thickness of this multi-layer “A further attraction of Reel-laying is that er. The Kwanda base at Soyo seemed to be the line yard, and to achieve a high degree of deployed. This can be seen as an system can be more than 100mm. onshore fabrication allows for higher quality, most obvious choice, being closest to the off- high-tech local content in a limited timeframe.

16 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 17 process, emerge as a continuous 320m length of pipeline. First the lengths are prepared by having their ends bevelled and then welded using a fully automated process. Following this, each joint is ultrasonically tested and repaired if necessary, and then the required field coating applied. Such is the reliability of the process that a minimum of repair work has been required at the new Sevenseas plant. This is perhaps typical of the manner in which the spoolbase operation is run. From the start, Subsea7 and Sevenseas Angola have focused on developing harmonious and diver- sified working relationships with local organisations as an alternative to the more direct approach of opening a new facility in a green field site, and then developing it. “In our vision, no one is better placed than Angolan entities to maximise the national content, if they are offered good opportunities and given support,” says Mr Isoard. ❖

SUBSEA7 JOINT ENDEAVOUR: PHOTOS: PMP GLOBAL The commissioning of More than 35 years before the Gulf Lobito-Tomboco installation campaign Sevenseas Angola’s new Oil Company (now Chevron) put its first were involved with high-tech pipelay, spoolbase at the Sonils oil “What we were “Although the spoolbase was built specifi- “With the Lobito-Tomboco contract under tentative toe in the offshore waters of positioning, construction and service ves- service centre brings another cally to service this contract, we expect to our belt, Sevenseas now has a strong track- Angola, Brown and Root – one of the sels. specialist service to the country. looking for was a attract more work as production from the other record to offer our tried-and-tested service forebears of Subsea7 – had already Subsea7 offers expertise in all the dis- offshore blocks and newly licensed bids gathers across the region,” says Mr Isoard. “However, designed and constructed the world’s first ciplines that have made subsea port with good pace,” says Mr Isoard. “So far, our first produc- the decision of Socotherm Angola to locate offshore platform. developments possible, often working in tion project has been a big success, both in the their pipeline insulation plant just outside our In 2006, Subsea7, which has worked the harshest and deepest environments marine access and smooth completion and in the high quality of gates adds another valuable string to our bow,” with many of the industry’s familiar such as Norway, the Gulf of Mexico, the work done by locally recruited personnel.” he adds. names in its 87-year involvement with the South Atlantic, Caspian Sea and West facilities, backed by Another big advantage is that the site In order to enable the thick crude to flow sub-marine extraction of hydrocarbons, is Africa. proved to be an almost copybook answer to easily through a pipeline in frigid waters thou- providing its services across the globe. Offering services that range from sur- adequate space Subsea7’s requirements, offering an area of the sands of metres below the surface, the pipes Now a wholly-owned subsidiary of vey, positioning and underwater right shape and size with excellent drainage. must be insulated, proofed against corrosion Siem Offshore, the company is one of the inspection to flexible or rigid pipeline or nearby to build the Dredging, by one of the world’s largest and protected from physical damage. world’s leading subsea engineering and marine structure installation, the compa- dredgers, started in December 2004. The site The individual 12-metre pipe lengths are construction contractors, with a workforce ny’s deepwater technology team fabrication plant.” was ready for the construction of the Sevenseas shipped to the Sonils quay direct from the in excess of 3,000. The Angola subsidiary addresses its tasks by developing ground- spoolbase by the spring of 2005 and this new manufacturer, already corrosion protected – Sevenseas Angola Ltd currently has a per- breaking technology in the arenas of riser Jacques Isoard, specialist facility was commissioned in August and insulation coated if production pipes – for manent staff of 30, of whom 25 are systems, extended tie-backs, ROV/RIT, sub- Country Manager, of the same year, giving even greater depth to the greater part of their length, leaving each Angolan nationals. If the various subcon- sea process and production. the development of the Sonils offering to the end free for welding. Sevenseas Angola. tractors working directly under Sevenseas The specialist Subsea7 fleet includes region’s extraction industry and its ability to After welding, each joint is given its appro- in-country are included, the total fluctu- 14 multi-purpose vessels and more than serve as a hub for Angola’s deepwater activities. priate covering, which typically can increase The amply available space has also allowed the diameter of a 273mm production flowline ates between 150 and 200 operators and 100 ROVs. In parallel to its flagship project for larger than usual storage racks for the 640m to 451mm, and a 216mm production test line technicians, most of them Angolans. of Lobito Tomboco for Cabgoc, its current strings prior to loading – a factor which has to 411mm. In addition, during the critical first Angolan operations include pipeline allowed the entire Lobito-Tomboco pipeline The heart of the spoolbase is the welding half of 2006, some 600 seamen and spe- inspection and ROV drilling rig support requirement to be completed before installa- plant into which the individual 12m lengths of cialists working offshore for the for various oil operators. tion, involving no risk of hold-up. pipe are fed at one end and, after a four-stage

18 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 19 REORGANISATION family planning

Many of the core values Just as its striking new headquarters building is transforming the skyline of held by Angolans spring Luanda’s central business district, so JSonangol’s complex corporate structure is from family life – and itself undergoing important changes. Two years ago Sonangol chairman just like other families, Manuel Vicente told Universo: “We are com- pletely reshaping the company – a process Sonangol is constantly we began in 1998. The dynamics of running adapting to ensure its a modern oil company encourage us to do this. We have to have a modern, efficient, wellbeing and efficiency transparent structure to compete success- fully in the world market.” One of the first steps along this road has been to give operational independence “The Sonangol to the various constituent parts of the com- board decided pany, which at the time included several operations and activities not directly con- the best option nected with its core business. This has now been achieved in part was to create the under the umbrella of a new subsidiary, Sonangol Sociedade Gestora de means to handle Participações Sociais Limitada (Sonangol the operational SGPS), which was formed in 2004 to man- age Sonangol EP’s participation in the other aspects of the subsidiaries and outside companies by tak- ing on the interests and investments it business.” previously owned. “The Sonangol board decided the best António Sabalo, option was to create the means to handle President, the operational aspects of the business,” says António Sabalo, Sonangol SGPS presi- Sonangol SGPS

AUTUMN 2006 21 ANTHONY FORONDA to implement procedures and methodolo- “While our immediate goal is to control our interests in the Sonangol subsidiaries gies of financial management to create its and the other companies, we are also looking for new opportunities.” control and supervisory systems – and to Joint Ventures produce the SGPS annual budget. The second side of the Sonangol SGPS Companies in which Sonangol SGPS holds a participating António Sabalo,President, Sonangol SGPS operation focuses on its long-term strategy, interest as of September 1, 2006. and the alignment of this with Sonangol EP. “This is only the beginning,” says Mr Sabalo. dent. “In this way it could keep the leadership, board decided that the SGPS holding should be “While our immediate goal is to control our Holding (%) as well as ensuring the individual accountabili- limited to 10 per cent, but for other compa- interests in the Sonangol subsidiaries and UPSTREAM ty of each entity. Our intention is to become nies, in which outside entities are involved, the the other companies, we are also looking for Sonamer (1998) Drilling 49 the preferred vehicle to boost Sonangol EP’s holdings vary from 51 per cent to as little as new opportunities as well as holding our- Petromar LDA (1984) Fabrication 30 strategic investments according to its responsi- 1.04 per cent. selves ready to take on projects as required bility to the state, its economic partners and Apart from performing a long-overdue by our parent company – and indeed nation- Sonamet (1998) Fabrication 40 society.” corporate “tidying-up” operation for Sonangol al government.” Sonastolt (2000) Drilling/ROVs** 40 The initiative is part of Sonangol’s long- EP, which in former years of strife and insecuri- The remit of the SGPS management Sonasurf (1999) Transportation 49 term aim to reshape itself as a holding ty often meant it had to create the very means studies and planning department is Sonasing (1999) FPSO owner as below company, with SGPS and its staff of 17 taking to perform its functions, SGPS is also very designed to perform financial research and Sonasing Kuito Ltd 30 over responsibility for running the day-to-day much about the creation of a simplified struc- analysis, and to conduct market studies in Sonasing Xihomba Ltd 50 aspects of the business and streamlining its ture. This will offer a transparent view of territory not previously of interest to activities so that they directly serve the needs Sonangol’s – and the Angolan government’s – Sonangol EP, in order to identify new busi- Sonasing Sanha Ltd 50 of a modern oil company. involvement with various aspects of the ness opportunities and joint ventures, and to Serviços de Produção de Petróleos Ltd 50 So the twofold SGPS plan is to own and national industrial sector. monitor the company’s portfolio. Sonatide (1995) Supply vessels 51 manage the participating interests of Sonangol “During the years of war, Sonangol was While subsidiaries such as Sonair and Sonawest (1998) Seismic data 49 EP and to assume the investments and strate- called upon to carry out all kinds of activities Sonagás are a direct part of Sonangol’s activi- Sonadiets (1999) Professional Training 30 gic projects given over by Sonangol EP, that were not connected with the oil and gas ties, the other companies in which it has an Sonaid (2002) Fabrication 30 including those related to the promotion of business,” says Francisco de Lemos José Maria, interest (for example Sonils and WAPO new entrepreneurial initiatives. Sonangol’s director of finance. “There was no Angola) are much more broadly based – Technip Angola (2000) Fabrication 40 Through its percentage holdings, SGPS one else the government could turn to at that involved with a range of activities in the Sonils (1995) Service centre 30 now enables the parent company to have time, so we found ourselves with investment in upstream, downstream and also non-core Angoflex Lda (2002) Fabrication 30 direct links with all its subsidiaries and the 24 telecoms, tourism and transport among other sectors. Kwanda Lda (1982) Service Centre 30 other companies in which it currently has an activities. We even ran a food store!” With most of the new structure now in interest, both for the purposes of control and Sonangol SGPS is structured in two parts, place, this is an interesting time for DOWNSTREAM to share expertise and experience. each reporting directly to its board of directors. Sonangol’s new super-subsidiary. While for In the case of subsidiaries, the Sonangol The first deals with management and finance Mr Sabalo and his team, the motivation is for Sopor (1990) Product distribution 49 disinvestment in some areas that are wide of Sonagalp(1994) Product distribution 51 the main thrust of Angola’s oil major, the Enco (1998) Product storage 40 future is seen as one for growth – for exam- Sonangol Congo SARL ple, into the fields of fabrication, oilfield (1998) Product distribution 60 Sonangol EP Subsidiaries services and equipment provision. “At this time, the future can lead us any- NON-CORE Sonangol SGPS owns 10 per cent of shares in each where,” says Mr Sabalo. “While it is true that we will be primarily interested in projects WAPO Angola (1997) General services 35 that are close to Sonangol’s core business, Banco de Comércio e Indústria Sonangol Pesquisa e Produção SARL (Sonangol P&P) Exploration this is not necessarily so. Whatever we do (BCI) 1991) Bank 1.04 Empresa de Serviços de Sondagens de Angola LDA (ESSA) Training offers some exciting options. Banco Africano de Investmenti Sonair Serviço Aéreo SARL Airline “On the one hand, those businesses (BAI) 1997) Bank 8.5 Sonangol Distribuidora SA Distribution which we drop out of will present opportuni- Sodispal (1995) Food retail, catering 51 Sonangol Logística LDA Logistics ties for local entrepreneurs to buy into – and Manubito (2002) Vessel scheduling 33.33 Mercury Serviço de Telecomunicações SARL Telecoms therefore the spreading of expertise to grow Angola’s industrial sector. And where we Bricomil (1994) Civil engineering 15 Sonaship Companhia de Navegação LDA Shipowner decide to put our weight behind new or Sonangol Gás Natural LDA (Sonagás) Production existing ventures, the muscle and profes- * Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel sionalism that Sonangol can bring to bear ** Remotely Operated Vehicle (subsea) will be a positive influence for them too” ❖

22 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 23 TECHNOLOGY

Halliburton, one of the most respected names among energy industry professionals, offers service and FitFit forfor technology in depth to maintain its leading position in Angola’s PurposePurpose offshore oil provinces

All over the world the pres- sure is on to find and produce more oil and gas every year – Abut the challenge now is how to wrest it from increasingly remote and difficult locations. Angola is one of those places on the frontier of what is possible. With almost all its exploration and production offshore in Atlantic depths greater than 1,500m, it is no surprise that Halliburton, a global energy services compa- ny, has a major presence in this oil province. In fact, the company is based at three locations along the coast, from which it offers the full range of services to aid exploration companies and field operators to find and pro- duce hydrocarbons as reliably and cost effectively as possible. “The tools and technolo- gies we can deploy on behalf of customers are the best in the industry,” says Bob Pendergraft, Halliburton’s Energy Services Group vice-president, Angola. “Done right may describe the baseline of the service we aim to offer, but I’d like to think our creative approach and dedica- tion to each individual case means we actually punch high- er than that.”

PMP GLOBAL AUTUMN 2006 25 Halliburton arrived on the Angola Halliburton Angola now has some need to be loaded directly onto service scene in 1968 – first of all to provide its 1,000 staff, of which around 70 per cent vessels. A larger area back from the berths services for the Cabinda Gulf Oil Company are Angolan. The company principally accommodates workshops, test areas, (Cabgoc), based at Malongo. offers its expertise for drilling, wellhead workshops and dedicated storage. The flu- By the end of 1995 Halliburton had and downhole activities, such as cement- ids lab is open around the clock to re-opened its facility at Kwanda Base, ing and all aspects of production perform a range of procedures including, Soyo, on the south bank of the River optimisation. cement, stimulation and mud testing. Congo, which primarily serves two of its Long-term success in Angola’s deep From Kwanda Base, Soyo, Halliburton larger customers. water depends on the wells being drilled provides a wide range of products and Meantime, Halliburton’s energy serv- and completed to last the life of the field. services. These include production ices operations have established their One of the keys to this is the portfolio of enhancement,liquid mud and brine main hub at the Sonils Oil Service Centre technologies perfected by Halliburton, plants, and bulk storage for cement, barite at Luanda, which is both its Angola head- such as its range of completion tools, log- and bentonite. quarters and the site from which it ging services and other solutions. “At Kwanda we have the only nitrogen supports the other two centres. Kellogg In addition, Sperry Drilling Services, a plant serving this part of West Africa, says Brown & Root (KBR) also has an office at brand of the Halliburton Drilling, facility manager Jim Reno. “We are also this facility. Evaluation and Digital solutions division, home port for the stimulation vessels Stim “Sonils is a good location for us.” says is highly regarded for its measurement Star and War Admiral,” he adds. Mr Pendergraft. “We are approximately while drilling and logging services – key Malongo, which serves nine rigs in midway between the port of Lobito and enablers for reservoir evaluation. To assist blocks 0 and 14, has a broadly similar pro- the offshore production areas to the north in cementing operations, over the years file, and administrative functions for this of Luanda. From here we can offer our full Halliburton has compiled a cementing ref- integrated services project are provided on suite of services to all of our cus- erence manual, Redbook, and recently site and managed by dedicated managers. tomers.” released, in electronic format, a more Every person involved with the deep- The two sites at Sonils cover comprehensive eRedbook using the water environment must be well trained, 25,785sq.m, with excellent cov- latest API tables and calculations. knowledgeable, and work safely and com- ered and open storage space, Halliburton’s municate effectively. Seeing is Believing workshops, fluid and other Luanda base is divid- “At Halliburton Angola, our commit- storage facilities, and a state- ed into two in order to ment is to provide the correct balance of of-the-art fluids support these activi- the right people matched with the appro- ccess to subsea geological strata is costly and wider collaborations and scientific interchange “In line with our analysis lab. ties. The quayside priate advanced technologies and services Adifficult, especially in deep water, and in the between our own experts in taking decisions rele- facility houses the to solve a problem quickly and safely,” says 1990s visualisation centres were hailed as the route vant to the company. vision to be able bulk storage tanks for Bob Pendergraft. “After all, with production to a more collaborative means of assessing “In line with our vision to be able to match the to match the drilling fluids, liq- values and rig operating costs totalling upstream asset data. Now, virtual-reality displays major oil companies operating here, it is a priority uids and other bulk around $2 million a day, it is critical to get and collaborative work environments are taking for Sonangol to have this tool,” he adds. major oil materials which it right first time,” he adds. ❖ centre stage as an important tool for multi-disci- Since the early 1980s, Landmark has become companies PHOTOS: PMP GLOBAL plined geoscientists, engineers and asset managers the oil and gas industry’s leading software and con- operating here, it to reduce exploration and development times and sulting services provider for the management of Stimulating Experience improve asset-based decisions. oilfield life cycles. is a priority for In June this year, Sonangol unveiled its own Sonangol’s new centre will have a special reso- Sonangol to have War Admiral Stim Star Working out of the Halliburton the well by stabilising the geological visualisation centre embodying the latest technolo- nance for Angola’s offshore world because facility at Kwanda Base, Soyo, close to structure surrounding the bore, thereby gy, which presents a floor-to-ceiling 3-D image so Landmark technologies are designed to help extend this tool.” Length 67m 83.5m the mouth of the River Congo, the boosting and maintaining production. vivid that the viewer, wearing special glasses, feels the life of mature fields, as well as reduce the risks Beam 13.4m 17.0m two-vessel stimulation fleet is well The extensively trained Stim teams are transported to the heart of a reservoir. in developing smaller, deeper prospects. The centre Mateus de Brito, placed to serve clients on Angola’s led by a dedicated engineer to deliver will help Sonangol manage its reserve replacement Member, Draft 4.9m 5.5m The spacious suite was designed and installed principal offshore producing blocks. the latest Halliburton solutions, precise- by Landmark, a brand of the Halliburton Drilling, strategies, identify drillable targets, create long-term Sonangol board Horsepower 7,500hp 9,500hp Stim Star and War Admiral are both ly matched to the well’s requirements. Evaluation and Digital Solutions division, and seats development and production plans and maintain a DPS DGPS/Fann Beam DP 2 equipped to deliver a variety of well Both vessels are fully equipped for real- up to 12 participants around a conference table, in holistic perspective on other subsea issues. stimulation solutions, including high- time operations via Halliburton’s “Our new visualisation centre is a valuable aid Cruising speed 12 knots 12 knots addition to theatre-style seating. value fracturing, acidising and sand HalLink satellite. Each has an on-board “This is the first such facility in Angola,” says that has hitherto been missing at Sonangol,” says Accommodation 22 beds 29 beds control technology. These are designed quality-control laboratory and their Mateus de Brito, member of the Sonangol board. Sonangol chairman Manuel Vicente. “The virtual- Stim capabilities Fracturing, Acid, Fracturing, Acid, to promote the smooth and uninter- environmental performance has been “It will play an important role in upgrading commu- reality displays enable us to see beyond horizons Gravel Pack Gravel Pack, Nitrogen rupted flow of hydrocarbons through excellent to date. nications between upstream technicians, and allow previously accessible to us.”

26 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 27 EXPLORATION

As Angola’s offshore oil extraction climbs towards 2 million coming barrels per day, excitement is growing among prospectors seeking hydrocarbons in Ashore three of the country’s onshore provinces After years of inactivity, government-led studies and licensing opportunities are build- ing expectations of a major oil discovery, Awhich promises major sustainable production onshore. The seismic trucks are once again ventur- ing into the rolling grasslands of oil and gas territories such as Cabinda and the Kwanza Basin, seeking evidence that could revitalise onshore exploration and production. Angola’s oil output is forecast to increase from 1.4 million bpd to 2 million bpd by 2008, with growth expected to come primarily from new deep and ultra-deep water blocks. However, as production begins to near its peak in the more mature onshore and shal- low-water fields, work is going on inland to reverse the decline. The three main areas of onshore produc- tion are the Cabinda South Block lying in the province of Cabinda; the Kwanza Basin, which lies close to Luanda; and the Lower Congo Basin in the north of the country around Soyo, the busy oil port and terminal. Onshore oil production in Angola started more than 90 years ago, with the first well drilled north of Luanda in 1915 [Universo 9]. Twelve months later, 14 wells had been drilled and although small amounts of oil were dis- covered, the technology was too primitive to pump it to the surface. Dry wells were also a frequent occurrence.

AUTUMN 2006 29 ANTHONY FORONDA The Kwanza 367 million barrels from the Kwanza Basin and Another potential “hot” area is the wells were completed on land in the enclave, 274 million barrels in the Lower Congo Basin. Kwanza Basin, currently being remarketed by including the second development that Basin, an Congo Cabinda South Block reserves are currently Sonangol. “Kwanza offers the potential for pumped just 400 barrels of oil and some gas onshore Basin being assessed. The last appraisal well was new discoveries in a proven oil province,” and water. This was a shallow well and drilled onshore Angola in 1988, but Roc is says Catriona O’Rourke, West Africa specialist missed potential major reservoirs deeper sedimentary scheduled to start new exploration drilling in at investment bank Wood Mackenzie. The underground. area of the Cabinda South Block. Other foreign players area has been promoted since 2004 and re- Western Geco, the international seismic com- are expected to follow. licensing of the area is expected, although pany and part of the giant oilfield services group 25,000sq.km Kwanza The onshore area is directly adjacent to some fields are unlikely to be reopened. The Schlumberger, is now actively marketing seismic surrounding the Basin offshore Cabinda, a world- class off- Luanda field, for example, now lies below a data covering the Kwanza Block. shore oil province. Cabinda, known as housing development. Further north, exploration began in 1966 mouth of the “Africa’s Kuwait”, is a relatively small “A decision of how to further onshore in the Lower Congo Basin led to the Pinda Kwanza River, area packed with oil and gas fields and exploration is expected to be taken in 2006,” and Cabeca da Cobra discoveries. The last onshore potential. said Syanga Abilio, Sonangol administrator find was Pambo in 1982. The onshore Congo has been The search got underway in late and vice-president, speaking late 2005. Basin was originally licensed to Fina (now identified as 2004 when Roc formally agreed with The Kwanza Basin, an onshore sedimen- part of Total), Sonangol and Texaco which Sonangol to activate a production sharing tary area of 25,000sq.km surrounding the formed the consortium FST. holding potential Namibe agreement covering the Cabinda South Block. mouth of the Kwanza River, has been identi- The area is now operated by Total and long-term oil Basin Project work started during the first half of fied as holding potential long-term oil and pumps some 12,000 barrels of oil per day. 2005, marking the end of a 32 year hiatus of gas reserves. Although drilling started at the The crude is exported via Chevron’s Block 2 and gas reserves petroleum exploration in the area. beginning of the 20th century, 1952-1974 infrastructure to offshore loading facilities. Roc has six years to make its mark and the marked the peak of oil exploration in this Fields include Cabeca da Cobra, Ganda and company is committed to drilling three wells. area, during which 12 oil fields and of one N’Zomba, but production from most fields is Research started in June 2005 included gath- gas field were discovered. in decline. ering both 2D and 3D seismic data. Angola’s petroleum industry really began Since September 2001 onshore crude has Encouraged by positive results, the Roc- in 1955 when the Belgian-state oil company been marketed as part of the Palanca Blend. operated Cabinda South Joint Venture has Petrofina first discovered oil in the Kwanza Palanca is similar in value to the Soyo Blend agreed to accelerate the programme with the Valley. The Angolan government and of the 1980s and 1990s with relatively low sul- Interest collapsed during Angola’s civil war intention of drilling the first exploration well in Petrofina established a jointly-owned compa- phur levels and an API of 38.3 deg. The and by 1993 all onshore fields had been shut September. This year’s budget for the block is ny, Fina Petróleos de Angola (Petrangol), and quality is not unlike the Brent Blend pro- down. It was not until 1996 that Petrofina expected to be $45 million of which Roc will constructed a refinery at Luanda to process duced in the UK sector of the North Sea. (Fina), eventually acquired by Total, started to contribute about $34 million. the oil. While onshore oil exploration has had a revive production. “Although interpretation is still at a prelim- The main expansion of the country’s chequered history, the ending of the civil war Today, onshore exploration and produc- inary stage, the seismic data reviewed to date upstream oil industry came in the late 1960s and huge advances in seismic and produc- tion involves, among others, Total and Chevron has confirmed onshore Angola in pole position when the Cabinda Gulf Oil Company discov- tion technology are boosting expectations near Soyo and, in the Cabinda area, the US- within Roc’s exploration portfolio,” says Dr John ered oil offshore Cabinda, leaving onshore that entrepreneurial companies will find based independents Occidental Petroleum and Doran, the company’s chief developments on the sidelines. A handful of onshore oil sooner than later. ❖ Devon Energy, and Australia’s Roc Oil. executive. Activity in some regions is still hampered As a sign of commitment, Roc made a $59 by landmines, many of which have been shift- million rights issue early this year, with the ed from original battlegrounds by the heavy money assigned to fund its onshore explo- rains that seasonally sweep across the coastal ration. Potential hydrocarbon-bearing areas. However, progress is slowly being made reservoirs have been identified and first results in redeveloping oilfield infrastructure. suggest that the Cabinda South Block will be a Exploration and production rights for prime exploration site, says the company. onshore developments are granted by The block lies within the Lower Congo Sonangol. In 2004 the company commissioned Basin, a prolific oil producer, which includes Netherlands-based Fugro Airborne Surveys to the Chevron-operated Block O immediately undertake an 811,000sq.km search of almost 70 offshore. For several decades offshore oil pro- FIRST OIL: per cent of the land area that Angola hopes will duction platforms have pumped oil to Many generations before tempt more oil companies to venture inland. shore-based facilities in Cabinda. Importantly Angola’s offshore fields The areas on offer are normally enclosed in for Roc, no part of the block is more than 50km were developed, crude blocks of about 5,000sq.km and each oil con- from Chevron’s onshore oil processing facility was seeping to the cession granted for 20 years. at Malongo, minimising the potential length of surface onshore at Initial onshore reserves are estimated at any export pipeline. Caxito, north of Luanda.

30 SONANGOL UNIVERSO INSIDE ANGOLA A friends andfamiliestogettogether, whileatthesametimestimulatingtradeandmove- Benguela Railway–holdevenmorepromise,asitonceagainconnectsthecentralAfrican bility ofcheap,speedytravelwillbringdistantcommunitiescloser, andmakeiteasierfor A railwayjourneyinAngolahasformanyyearsbeenjustamemory. Butsoonthepossi- The benefitsofroutessuchasthehistoric ment offreshproducefromfarmsinthecountrysidetocitymarkets. railway networkwiththeAtlanticseaportofLobito. Caminho deFerroBenguela

– the JOSE SILVA PINTO SILVA JOSE REGIONAL FOCUS

Kwanza Sul is a land of beauty where the waters team with fish, the jungles are home to many unique species and the fertile soil produces crops in abundance

Bountiful Hailed by many visitors as one of Angola’s most delightful provinces, the natural beauty of Kwanza Sul takes the breath away. From its tower- Hing cliffs, golden beaches, lush rainforests and spectacular gorges, this province is a photograph- er’s paradise. For the traveller heading due south from Luanda, traversing Bengo province and entering Kwanza Sul just after the Longa River, the change Land in mood is palpable. As the noisy confusion of the capital becomes a distant memory and the dusty plains of southern Bengo fade, the splendid ver- dure of Kwanza Sul nourishes the soul like an oasis in the desert soothes a dry throat. The 325km trip from Luanda takes four to five hours along a reasonably good road in a stur- dy four-wheel drive. With an early start, visitors can easily arrive at the provincial capital Sumbe in time for lunch. A charming seaside town, Sumbe’s fish and seafood are undoubtedly its specialities. Families dining out at the beachside Principe restaurant, with its contemporary silver tables, outdoor deck- ing and Atlantic view, are tucking into succulent espetadas do mar (seafood kebabs), barbecued lobster and grilled garoupa, all freshly plucked from the ocean. A meander along the sands reveals a tranquil town occupied by cheerful people who, while not particularly wealthy, enjoy rich lives from the land, with fishing and farming the mainstays of the local economy. Mario Pinto, who lived in the province for three years as a child, believes Kwanza Sul is one of Angola’s most fertile areas. “This land really is bountiful. There is an abundance of food,” he says. Founder of travel company Eco Tur, Mr Pinto spends his weekends introducing tourists to some of Angola’s little-known delights, and Kwanza Sul, a province of around 600,000 people, has more than its fair share of hidden treasures. Turning inland from Sumbe, the road rolls north-eastwards towards the historic hilltop town IDYLLIC: of Gabela. Clinging on while swerving to avoid the potholes and puddles, all eyes are glued to the Local residents love to picnic extraordinary landscape. As the road leaves at the Binga Falls on the Cuvo River DON TWADDLE behind the eerie salt lakes with their peculiar

34 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 35 “Our fields are full of bananas, potatoes, peppers doubt draw bathers in the future. Back near the ocean, at the magnificent and onions.We can get fish Kikombo gorge, “banana man” Kaly is making one of his regular trips down the Kikombo from the rivers and the River to deliver his crop. Kaly lives in the vil- lage of Huamba, almost 40 km up the valley, ocean, and we can eat the but twice a month he and his fellow farmers painstakingly construct rafts from banana beef from our local cattle.” trunks and leaves which they stack with around half a tonne of the still-green fruit and António José, Kwanza Sul resident float down river to market. “We bring around three to four tonnes down here every trip,” Kaly explains. “I spend a couple of days here, selling the bananas to local people or to companies who drive them DON TWADDLE up to Luanda. Then I get a lift back to spiky trees and swirling steam, the trail ascends, Huamba to do it all again,” he laughs. PLENTIFUL: the temperature dips and the pastures begin to Kwanza Sul is a magical province: sooth- blossom. ing, plentiful, fragrant and with every corner Sumbe’s fisherman find rich The next summit affords yet another mar- revealing yet another fascinating discovery. pickings in the waters of the vellous view across the tree-lined Cuvo river. At Perhaps the most enthralling of these is the Atlantic Ocean the village of Kalunda, the soba (traditional leader) is happy to sing the praises of the area strong potential to become a destination for to sightseers passing through. ornithologists. “Why would we want to live anywhere After a visit to Kwanza Sul in 2003, two else?” asks António José. “People here don’t go authorities on birds of the region, Ian Sinclair hungry. Our fields are full of bananas, potatoes, and Peter Ryan, said that some important and peppers and onions. We can get fish from the endangered species such as the Gabela Bush- rivers and the ocean, and we can eat the beef Shrike and Pullitzer’s Longbill were far more from our local cattle. We live in a beautiful land- prevalent than many had thought. “It will scape. What more can we want?” only be a matter of time before Angola is Leaving the clean and orderly mud huts of firmly on the birding map,” they predicted Kalunda behind, the road climbs to Gabela recently in an article for Africa Birds and through some of Angola’s most beautiful rain- Birding magazine. forest. A brief but fierce thunder storm, At the powerful Binga Falls, around 35 complete with spectacular flashes of lightning, kilometres from Sumbe, locals have discov- leaves the air heady with the delicious scent of ered an idyllic picnic spot. Setting up their freshly-watered vegetation. barbecues under a canopy of trees, the falls As the heat dries out the forest, its residents are the perfect setting for a long, lazy lunch re-emerge. Smiling children yell “Caracol, cara- with friends. col!” as they run alongside the vehicle, holding Sixteen-year-old Mendonça Didi has up scarves full of tiny snails – a local delicacy – enjoyed a cooling dip in the Cuvo waters at which they have collected amid the foliage. the foot of the falls. He has been swimming Young boys, still wearing makeshift and playing with his friends, and can think of cagoules cleverly created from cocoa leaves, nowhere better to spend the weekend. make their way home after working in the “I live in Sumbe, but we often come up fields, while trucks hurtle past laden with here to get away from the town. It’s beautiful. bananas, cabbage and cauliflower. I love the landscape and messing around in Listen closer, and the rich birdlife intro- the waterfall,” he explains, the river water still duces itself with an exquisite chorus. Kwanza dripping from his hair. “When I come here, I Sul is home to 13 of the 14 bird species unique never want to leave.” to Angola. In the past, the war was a big deter- Weaving inland through a more moun- rent to visiting nature-lovers, and even today a tainous landscape described by many as lack of easy access and the cost of getting to “Little Switzerland,” the road makes its way to Angola are major obstacles. Yet the province has the rustic hot springs at Conda, which will no

AUTUMN 2006 37 Boa Entrada coffee plantation, hidden in the profuse banana forests just a few kilometres from Gabela. Without the know-how of an experienced guide like Mario Pinto, few would be lucky enough to stumble across these vast agricultural (clockwise from left) estates, concealed down tortuous muddy tracks. A cagoule is protection from The hair-raising journey is well worth the the rain; the pristine beaches effort when Boa Entrada finally reveals itself. The of Sumbe; Green bananas for elegant plantation, complete with church, sale in Huamba; Acacia trees chapel and hospital, was the headquarters of against the night sky. Companhia Angolana de Agricultura (CADA), once one of the world’s biggest coffee producers. This now defunct plant and ghost town is home only to a small community of locals and wrought iron spiral staircase. “My wife and I several families of goats, and prompts gasps of would come here for drinks and social occa- astonishment from visitors. sions, and there was a very nice restaurant for Also arriving at the hilltop estate is José the workers.” Nóbrega, a former head of transport at the plan- In its heyday, CADA employed around 700 tation, who lived and worked there with his managers and almost 10,000 agricultural work- family from 1953 until war broke out in 1975. Mr ers to bring in the robusta coffee beans. In total, Nóbrega, who now lives in Portugal, is making the plantations in this area produced 12,000 his first return visit to Boa Entrada in more than tonnes of coffee each year. 30 years. It is an emotional experience and he “My family and I had a very good life here. recounts his memories. My son went to school here and I used to play “It was paradise here,” he says, as he points roller-hockey over there. I feel very sad to see it out the recreation area including tennis court, now,” Mr Nóbrega says, a lump in his throat. swimming pool and children’s games room. Coffee is not the only industry of the As he shoos away the goats that now occupy province’s past to fall by the wayside. Sisal, palm the cinema and stage, he shakes his head at the oil and tobacco production used to prosper in destruction over the years. “This used to be the the Kwanza Sul of old. The rolling hills descend- club,” he says, slowly making his way up a ing to dramatic cliffs which hug the sleepy harbour and beach town of Porto Amboim, LOUISA NORMAN 70km north of Sumbe, were once home to a thriving cotton industry. Deep in the mineral-rich rocky outcrops, quartz was at one time mined on a large scale, “I live in Sumbe, but loaded onto railway trucks and then shipped we often come up from Porto Amboim to Germany where it was made into glasses and lenses. The colourless here to get away rock crystal can occasionally be glimpsed among the rocks today, but as yet no large-scale mining from the town. It’s has resumed. Currently, the biggest earners are agriculture beautiful. I love the and fishing, with sardine, garoupa, shark and a landscape and host of other species found in the province’s waters. messing around in While life has changed immeasurably since before the war, Kwanza Sul still has an abun- the waterfall.” dance of attractions on offer, not least the graciousness of its quick-to-smile people. Mendonça Didi, aged 16 Indeed, the climate and the scenery of Kwanza Sul certainly lend potential to a signifi- cant tourism industry in the future. ❖

38 SONANGOL UNIVERSO RECONSTRUCTION

The $300 million When the project to rebuild the Benguela Railway will restore a vital link between Whistles Angola’s Atlantic seaport of Lobito and its vast central Sound African hinterland Again

August 2007 is the date set for the re-open- ing of Angola’s historic Benguela Railway, which for 80 years ran for more than 1,300km between ALobito and Dilolo on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. To hear again the whistle of trains from the coast as they reach Angola’s eastern border is one of the challenges which the government has included in its national reconstruction pro- gramme. The $300 million rail contract with the Chinese consortium China International Fund Ltd is part of a financial aid agreement between the governments of the two countries. The Caminho de Ferro de Benguela (CFB) – known across Africa as the Benguela Railway – which officially opened in 1929 was the brain- child of the Scottish engineer Sir Robert Williams. Based on information available to him at the time, he specified that the line should follow the ancient slave caravan route that linked the Congo to the western coast of Benguela – a distance of more than 1,000 km.

STORY BY JAIME AZULAY PHOTOS BY JEAN CHARLES PERRIN

40 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 41 – the “wrong” side of the continent for export to the sea through the provinces of Moxico, Bié The strategic to the industrial centres of Europe. Although and Benguela – and especially to the impor- Shaba’s production costs were low, freight tant regional centre of Huambo. importance of charges represented an unsustainable burden. This elegantly laid-out city was not only There was only one solution: find an alterna- seen by the Portuguese as the future capital of the Benguela tive route to that of Mozambique. Angola but, in what is possibly one of the most Construction work on the line, directed by ambitious plans ever conceived, as “Nova Railway lies in the determined Scot, began on March 1, 1903, Lisboa” – with the proposal that the entire running through some of Angola’s most diffi- nation of Portugal should migrate to Africa! the fact that as cult terrain, and continued for the next 26 By 1970s ever increasing cargo tonnages years. were passing along the tracks of the Benguela the sole rail link During the First World War work was Railway, with a record 2 million tonnes carried interrupted at Kilometre 520 close to in 1973. A year later came far-reaching for the central Chinguar, on the Angolan plateau, and it was prospects for expanding the line’s potential. African (clockwise from top left): not until 1929 that the line finally reached A major programme was agreed to con- Dilolo on Angola’s eastern frontier. Two years vert from steam to diesel-electric locomotives countries to the The old steam engine soon to later, the link with the central African railway from the United States. There was also to be be replaced; Enthusiastic network was completed. the upgrading of the network including the teams lay new track; modern Atlantic Ocean In the years that followed, the CFB construction of the so-called Cubal Variant, all locomotive ready to roll. became much more than the workhorse of the of which was designed to increase capacity to it is a key mineral extraction companies. The ease of 10 million tonnes a year. But following movement it offered for the transportation of Independence in 1975 civil war broke out and overland route A concession agreement was signed when produce and goods between communities the project never materialised. The CFB serves a vast area of Angola’s interior, the CFB was set up on November 27, 1902, for a along the way opened up a prosperous corri- It could be said that Benguela Railway’s to the sea providing huge potential for population period of 99 years, and in 2001 the Angolan dor across central Angola, as it wound its way 100 years of existence is mingled with the his- government took over the company’s assets re-settlement and the possibility for balanced and liabilities, putting an end to the limited lia- bility company in which 90 per cent of the and sustained regional development shares were owned by the British company. The CFB serves a vast area of Angola’s inte- rior, providing huge potential for population re-settlement and the possibility for balanced and sustained regional development. The restoration of rail travel will bring about pro- found economic and social transformation in places located within the sphere of its long national route. However, the strategic importance of the railway lies in the fact that as the sole rail link for the central African countries to the Atlantic Ocean it is a key overland means of transport to the sea routes to Europe and America. Thus provision of a means for efficient international traffic flow across Angola is the CFB’s raison d’être, representing 80 per cent of its potential income. As the mineral riches of the region were being realised in the latter part of the 19th cen- tury, there was interest in copper extraction from Shaba in the former Belgian Congo. But its exploitation, in competition with other pro- duction centres, was conditional on the transportation factor. These mineral deposits were 1,700 miles from the port of Beira on the east African coast

42 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 43 international markets at competitive prices because of the extra cost of transportation via Beira Mozambique or Dar-Es-Salaam in Tanzania. Lusaka and Kinshasa currently pay high charges to export minerals and exploration for some of these, such as manganese, has ceased to be viable since transportation costs have become higher than the value of the minerals themselves on world markets. It is hoped that the restoration of the rail- way track, as well as the refurbishment of the stations along the line, will be completed with- in a 20-month deadline. According to the Angolan authorities, the new line, with its modernised rolling stock and locomotives, will have a capacity of 50 trains a day; travel at an average speed of 80kmph; and carry an estimated four million passengers and 20 million tonnes of goods annually. In other parts of the country – notably from Luanda – the steel fingers of the new rail track are already reaching out to bring prosper- Cheap travel and the movement of goods is ity and greater choice, as cheap travel and the a benefit that the rejuvenated Caminho de movement of goods is once again possible. This is a benefit that the rejuvenated Caminho de Ferro de Benguela will offer to an even Democratic Ferro de Benguela will offer to an even wider wider public, stretching to the furthest Republic of of them crippled for life and a further 250 rail- public, stretching to the furthest corners of Congo way employees are still missing. southern Africa. ❖ corners of southern Africa A partial calculation by the company in ANGOLA Dilolo 1988 illustrates the losses suffered: $29 million Lobito in destroyed and damaged locomotives and $24 million in the destruction of bridges, Huambo Benguela Ndola aqueducts and derailments. In addition more than $50 million worth of rolling stock, vehi- cles and other equipment was destroyed. From 1988 until peace was re-established in 2002, the damage increased significantly. tory of Angola – potentially one of the richest Vast sections of the track became impassable countries of the African continent – but muz- as bridges and permanent way were wrecked, zled by an armed conflict that was to continue and routine maintenance became impossible. for more than 30 years. Today, traffic that passes along track still The paralysis of international traffic, and usable continues to demonstrate the impor- the virtual shutting down of internal rail move- tant role of the railway to local populations. ment in 1989, were harsh blows to a service The fluctuation in workforce numbers that was considered the main factor in the also gives some idea of this dark period. In development of a large strip of Angola, as well 1974 the company employed 13,500 workers, as for the economies of neighbouring coun- but by 1988 there were just 5,000. It is estimat- tries. ed that the CFB still loses more than $80 The losses suffered by the CFB during the million a year because of the disruption. armed conflict were colossal, and the human Landlocked countries such as the toll on the railway horrifying. Three hundred Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia workers died in service on the track, in have suffered badly from the negative effects ambushes and attacks against trains and of the stoppage of the CFB. These economies installations. Another 437 were injured, some are prevented from delivering minerals to

44 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 45 SPORT we are Sailing The Bay of Luanda, shielded by the long arm of the Ilha peninsula, makes a near-perfect environment in which young people can to learn to sail

They zip and zap across the water of Luanda Bay, against one of the most dramatic cityscapes of West Africa, searching for that most powerful force of nature, Tthe wind. It is a timeless quest that has lured men to sea for centuries to seek new horizons. But here, they are just boys – and in these tropical latitudes, the winds are generally elusive, with light breezes that require extra skill to get out in front, which the best of the young sailors seem to do quite often. The recent growth in popularity of sailing is just another sign that normality is now quickly returning to the life of Angola, with its hundreds of kilometres of beautiful and relatively benign coastline. Hitherto an activity in which only the comparatively well-to-do could indulge, the interest in sailing among young Luandans has brought a steady growth in the numbers joining sail- ing clubs, and learning the skills of bending the wind to their pleasure. Every weekend, some 20 Optimist-class sailboats launch into the bay, on the doorstep of the city, to mingle with the sleek powerboats and game-fishing enthusiasts on their way out to open water to find sport offshore. These diminutive dinghies are skillfully manoeuvred by an increasing band of local children who have discovered the passion for sail, despite its image as an elitist pas- time. “It seems as if they were born in water and perhaps, driven by their interest, they have become creatures of the sea,” says Luis Filipe Lima, father of one of the youngsters sailing an Optimist. Mr Lima is at the bay’s edge almost every weekend to watch his son sailing and note the improvements, not only in his performance on 46 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 47 PHOTOS BY JOSE SILVA PINTO “It seems as if they were born in water and perhaps, the water, but on land as well. “The kids quickly form a strong bond, no driven by their interest, they have become creatures matter what their skill, social level or school of the sea.” grades,” he says. “I have noticed that this is a Luis Filipe Lima, father very character-building activity at their age.” Optimist In fact, José Junça, the president of the Angolan Sailing Federation, says that as a rule Designed in 1947 by Clark the children are only allowed to sail if they Mills, with its nutshell hull and a succeed in school – but no matter what the small sail, this vessel is sometimes family income, they have the opportunity to called “the sailing bathtub”. But join a sailing club. for all its chunky looks, it is safe “These are two principles that we intend and has surprisingly good han- to keep up, but it’s hard,” says Mr Junça. “This dling characteristics, and so is a connection with the sea is important for favourite of beginners. Angola. It is quite possible that some of the kids, somewhere in their future, may thus be In fact, these one-person directed to study marine biology, naval engi- dinghies are the main training neering or something else related to the boat for future Olympic sailors. sailing environment which they now find Optimists have become the themselves in.” biggest and most competitive Altogether, more than 100 Angolan chil- youth racing class in the world, dren are signed up as members of the three with events often attracting 150 most popular classes: Optimist, Laser and or more competitors. Vaurien – with the Luanda League being the Specifications most active. Crew: one There are currently four sailing clubs in Hull weight: 35 kg Luanda: Petro Atlético, which is sponsored by Sail area: 3.25 sq.m Sonangol, the 1.º de Agosto, the Clube Náutico come here at weekends to sail”, says Helder, teams to Italy, France, Spain, Ireland, Brazil, and Clube Naval. “We have members here in who joined Clube Náutico for four years ago. Germany and Namibia,” he adds. their thirties who have been with us since they As he calmly and enthusiastically prepares the Eighteen-year-old Osvaldo Tati, sailing in were eight years old,” says Mr Junça. small boat for the not-so calm waters of the the Laser class, has been three-times national The clubs are taking steps to ensure that bay, he says that he wants to participate in champion, and says that the top places in the this tradition continues, with a series of sailing other competitions, outside of Angola, to international competitions are well within courses for their new young members. The prove his ability. Angola’s reach due to its young sailors’ dedi- only pre-qualification they need is to be able Almost all of the young Angolan sailors cation and enthusiasm. to swim. The courses, which take place on the are eager to go abroad and show to the world “Sailing is a healthy sport that demands Laser bay at weekends, and also during the week at their enthusiasm for the sport. “Their first concentration, creativity and also respect for holiday time, are run on two levels: initiation wish is really to compete outside the country the sea and the equipment,” says Osvaldo. The Laser started as a proto- and competition. and meet other people,” says Mr Junça. In “But we have to remember that only equip- type designed by Bruce Kirby, but The federation is trying hard to also fact, most of them are sufficiently experi- ment in good condition can deliver the best quickly sailed to popularity to encourage the growth of sailing activity in enced to take part in international performance.” provinces. “Soon we hope that similar com- competitions, and have made many foreign Nevertheless, there is a limit to what even become one of the most favoured petitive organisations will emerge in Cabinda, friends with whom they share their interest at the best equipment can do. Mother Nature boats among dinghy enthusiasts, Benguela, Bengo, Kwanza-Sul and Namibe, every level. has to play her part as well. The light airs of with a special Olympic edition. As but the federation cannot support everything,” “They have strong international bonds Luanda do at times present a special chal- a one-design class of sailboat, all says Mr Junça, referring to the immense task and can enjoy frequent contact with their lenge – but that is also the challenge of the Lasers are built to the same speci- and investment needed to get everything up friends in these competitions”, says Mr Junça, sport itself, and one that the fledgling yachts- fications and only have a single and running. “The clubs have to be adding that the Angolan team is warmly wel- men seem to relish. ❖ sail. autonomous, so we are only a regulatory comed when they travel abroad to take part in Specifications body,” he explains. regattas. Crew: One Close by, Helder Paulo is preparing an “We are keenly sought after to participate Hull weight: 59kg Optimist for the next event. He is just 12 years in competitions, and even the International Sail area: 7.06 sq.m old, but has already won a first place in the Federation of Sail provides us with support LEARNING THE ROPES: Optimist-class national league. and funding for us to attend foreign events,” Luanda’s fledging sailors “I live on the Ilha de Luanda and I love to he says with a big smile. “So far we have sent prepare to take on the world.

48 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2006 49 RECOGNITION

When conservationist As reported in Universo 5, Mr Vaz Pinto tion and conservation, with 16 shepherds and his team had tried every trick in the book, maintaining the camera equipment, patrolling Pedro Vaz Pinto received a from lengthy expeditions on foot to scouring the park, and keeping poachers at bay. the dense forest with microlight aircraft, in Mr Vaz Pinto has already been able to major international award their attempts to track down the majestic increase their salaries to $100 a month and in London recently it was beast, whose distinctive curved horns can plans to enhance their training and bring in stretch up to 165 centimetres. Eventually, in new technology such as cyber tracking. in recognition of his February 2005, a simple idea to use infra-red This, along with a plan to rebuild infra- camera traps produced conclusive proof that structure in the Kangandala area and extend significant work to ensure the palanca negra was alive and well. the project to the nearby Luando Reserve in Huge celebrations greeted the rediscovery Malange province, should ensure the giant the survival of Angola’s of the animal which is Angola’s national sable’s future. national emblem emblem. It’s characteristic silhouette graces “I’m very optimistic and very confident bank notes and stamps, and forms the logos of that with this project the palanca negra will the national airline and football team as well thrive,” Mr Vaz Pinto says. “Everything is For more than two decades it was as the country’s liquefied natural gas project. falling into place. It would be unthinkable that feared extinct. But Angola’s unique palanca Evidence of the giant sable’s survival it won’t survive.” negra, the giant sable rediscovered amid against the perils of war and poaching is wel- Edward Whitley, founder and chairman of much fanfare last year, was the star of the come news and symbolic of a country seeking the Whitley Fund for Nature, says: “With show at a conservation award ceremony in inner strength as it tries to rebuild after 27 Pedro’s hard work and dedication there is now FLondon in May. years of internal conflict. hope that there can be a future where giant Pedro Vaz Pinto, who spearheads a “The rediscovery of the palanca negra is sable and the reserves in which they survive project by the Catholic University’s Centre important on so many different levels,” says are protected, with the full support of local for Scientific Studies, was bestowed an Mr Vaz Pinto. “It is a critically-endangered people. award from the prestigious Whitley Fund sub-species, which means it is important “We are delighted to announce Pedro as for Nature for his work in pinning down, internationally. But it has such an incredible winner of a Whitley Award and hope this HONOURED: monitoring and protecting the critically history and mythology behind it, and as the award will give him the support and publicity Pedro Vaz Pinto with endangered species of antelope. national symbol it is very important for our he needs in order to achieve his goals.” ❖ Princess Anne Mr Vaz Pinto travelled to London to country.” receive his trophy and £30,000 prize from But confirming its existence is only the Princess Anne, Britain’s Princess Royal and first step in what will be a long quest to moni- was delighted to have topped the ten final- tor and preserve the majestic animal. Mr Vaz ists selected from more than 160 Pinto’s work involves leading a research team applicants. to learn more about the current status of the “This is a big honour. It will put the sable and its distribution, as well as to plan for project as well as Angolan conservation its conservation. and bio-diversity on the map and make Most of the protected areas in Angola people think of Angola in ways other than have little law enforcement, leaving them disease, war and corruption,” Mr Vaz Pinto open to uncontrolled poaching. Yet local peo- says. ple have for centuries worked to protect the His community shepherding pro- animal from extinction. gramme, now known as the Projecto de “The giant sable is revered. Most locals Conservação da Palanca Negra Gigante really worship it because of its mystical aura (giant sable conservation project), and there are many legends surrounding it,” impressed the judges who assessed the explains Mr Vaz Pinto. “The animal would not project against nine other programmes, have survived if that wasn’t the case. People GREG GRIGORIOU ranging from conserving the Amur tiger in really protect it. It’s considered sacred.” Russia to stopping the wildlife trade in The 38-year-old conservationist is build- Vietnam. ing on this special relationship between the Royal palanca negra and the local communities by expanding his team of well-trained “sable shepherds” who are charged with carrying on the long tradition of sable protection. The project is transforming itself into an organisation for the sable’s long-term protec-

Recognition AUTUMN 2006 51