SONANGOL ANGOLA | OIL | BUSINESS | CULTURE ISSUE 14 SUMMER 2007 UNIVERSO Universo ISSUE 14 – SUMMER 2007 ON TIME: Sonangol Namibe joins the family ■ ON SITE: Greater Plutonio FPSO arrives Block 31 offshore Angola ■ IN A TIN: Pictures by Kandengues Unidos Luanda Orphans ISSUE 14 SUMMER 2007 INSIDE SONANGOL INSIDE ANGOLA Something Big 30 There is an awesome 30. Troubled Eden grandeur about almost For a region of such distracting everything to do with beauty and easy-going lifestyle, the oil industry: the now, as it rebuilds its future ambitious concepts, the TENTS Uíge has seen more than its fair huge structures, the share of disruptive influences amazing technological achievements – and the almost unimaginable 36. Paradise in sums invested to extract Waiting the sought after gas and liquid. With a new international airport CON In this issue we salute two momentous 36 and world-class hotels under events. The first is the arrival in Angolan construction, Angola’s tourism waters of the world’s biggest FPSO, exclusively minister sees a time when the photographed for Universo soon after it country can be less dependent arrived on Block 18. 8 14 on oil The second is the delivery of the fifth Suezmax crude carrier to join the Sonangol 8. Our Growing Family 42. Child’s Eye View fleet, the Sonangol Namibe, taking its total tonnage to just under 800,000 deadweight As the m/t Sonangol Namibe departs Korea’s The camera obscura was the tonnes. As our special report from Korea Okpo shipyard to begin her travels across the first mechanical means of repro- describes, her crew includes an elite cadre of Sonangol oceans of the world, so begins another chapter ducing a picture of an actual youthful Angolan officers and cadets, products Rua 1° Congresso do MPLA, for Sonangol Shipping scene. Pictures taken by N.º 8-16 of the Sonangol maritime scholarship scheme. Caixa Postal 1316, Luanda Luanda’s orphans demonstrate República de Angola how potent this simple tech- Elsewhere, we explore the highlands and Tel: +244 2 391 182 14. Win-Win Opportunity nique still is. forests of Uíge to reveal a province of much Fax: +244 2 391 782 beauty and tranquillity, and imparting some Telex: 2089 SONANG AN Angolanisation and local content are buzz hopeful possibilities in contrast to the starker [email protected] words long familiar to Angola’s oil sector – and 46. Fly Like a Bird another successful Sonangol-led initiative shows news that more usually comes from this region. Sonangol USA (Sonusa) Since Icarus, it has been man’s The future opportunities of tourism to the 1177 Enclave Parkway one way of making it happen Second Floor dream to take wings, and skim- country as a whole are discussed in an exclusive Houston,TX 77077 ming over the Atlantic surf of interview with tourism minister Eduardo USA 18. On Site – on Time Chingunji, together with a profile of the cur- Tel: +1 281 920 7600 46 the Ilha a growing number of Fax: +1 281 920 7666 18 On the eve of first oil from the Greater Plutonio young Luandans experience rent state of the industry. [email protected] Field Universo meets Mary Shafer-Malicki, just that The swooping kitesurfers of the Ilha are a Sonangol UK newly- appointed leader of the BP Angola reminder of summer days now on the wane in Merevale House Business Unit Angola, and we are afforded some fascinating Brompton Place 50. Out to Lunch glimpses of life in Luanda through the eyes of London SW3 1QE Hardly a week goes by without United Kingdom children using old tin cans for cameras. Tel: +44 207 838 4600 22. Small is Beautiful a new restaurant opening its To round off the menu, we go on a gastro- Fax: +44 207 589 9454 Angola’s exploration and production boom is doors in Luanda, adding to the nomic tour of Luanda’s favourite restaurants – Telex: 893212 SONANG set to continue as the oil majors are joined by a eclectic choice of eating places a big treat, we hope. Sonangol Asia growing band of local and international compa- available in the capital 3 Temasek Avenue nies defined by their entrepreneurial spirit --The Editor 31-04 Centennial Tower Singapore 039190 50 Tel: : +65 64 16 3583 Fax: +65 64 16 3582 24. West Africa Hub Sonangol Department for Communication & Image –– Director: João Rosa Santos; Corporate Communications Assistant: Cristina de Novaes As the principal support for its west and south- 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 ern African operations, Vetco Gray’s Luanda Publisher: Sheila O’Callaghan; Group President: John Charles Gasser; Project Consultant: Nathalie MacCarthy base is centrally located to deliver rapid Editor: Peter Moeller; Sub-editor: Ron Gribble; Art Director: Lisa Pampillonia; Advertising Design: Bernd Wojtczack; Circulation Manager: Matthew Alexander Contributors: Nina Asz, Karen Iley, Bruce McMichael Cover Photo: m/t Sonangol Namibe (PMP Global) response to its sub-Saharan clients 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. 24 [email protected] 4 SONANGOL UNIVERSO NEWS IN BRIEF Chevron has notched up another important discovery in the deep waters offshore Terminal expertise New Partner Royal Boskalis Westminster and the Jan Eni is to join the $4 billion project to Angola in Block 14. The de Nul Group have been awarded the con- build an LNG plant at Soyo in northern Lucapa-1 well, spudded in tract to develop the landing site for the Soyo Angola after buying a 13.6 per cent late 2006 in water depths of LNG export terminal. The $400m contract stake in a company in charge of the 1,201m, is the tenth explo- involves dredging an access channel and cre- project, the Angola LNG Limited consor- ration discovery made in the First meeting ating an artificial island to allow the LNG tium (ALNG). Partners in the project block since 1997. Angola’s Senior oil carriers to berth. About 5 million cubic metres include Sonangol, Chevron, Total and Sonangol is developing plans officials have for the first of dredged material will be used to create BP. Earlier this year, super- time attended a quarterly 140 hectares of new land on which the major ExxonMobil to put some of its non-oil sector meeting of the Organisation of terminal will be built. A contract for transferred its 13.6 interests up for sale, with local Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) advance engineering and procure- per cent stake in the companies being the preferred since being admitted to the organisation in January. The assembly took place on March 12. ment has also been awarded to project to buyers. According to chairman Angola is the newest member of the influential group, and is the organisation’s first new member engineering company Sonangol, Manuel Vicente, the develop- since 1975, but is not yet subjected to monthly Opec production quotas. Bechtel. The project is whose share ment of the Angolan business Opec meetings generally take place in Austria at the Vienna headquarters of the organisation scheduled for completion rose to 36.4 sector will enable the company that represents the interests of 12 leading oil production and exporting countries, which include by the end of 2008. per cent. to sell off peripheral businesses Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. and allow the group to focus on The next Opec ministerial conference has been scheduled for September, when the decision will its core exploration and produc- be made on which of Angola’s three crudes – Cabinda, Palanca and Girassol – will be used in the tion activities. cartel’s oil price index. Opec’s benchmark index is set according to production and export levels of member countries. Spoilt for Choice Saipem has scooped $1 billion Angola’s membership of Opec follows a significant growth in the country’s political influence in Sonangol sponsored 2nd Regional Deepwater Offshore West Africa Conference and worth of contracts for offshore West Africa after agreeing ties with São Tomé and Príncipe and heading the revival of the region- Exhibition, being held for the first time in Luanda from October 3-6, has an embarrassment of and onshore services around the al co-operation body, the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC). Along with the two riches in attracting no less than 175 abstracts. world including Angola. Saipem Portuguese-speaking countries, the GGC is made up of Gabon, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, “We had planned to present no more than 60 during the three-day event,” says Gerard Kreeft, will begin installing a pipeline Cameroon and the Republic of Congo. managing director of the organisers, Energywise. “But rather than reject so many valuable con- system in Chevron’s offshore tributions, we have decided to re-jig the programme to run three parallel sessions instead of the Block 0 Mafumeira oilfield at the original two. This means that the technical committee will now be able to select 90 – 100 end of 2007. abstracts,” he adds. The unexpected number of high-quality papers received is also reflected in the keenness to par- ILLUSTRATIONS: GREG GRIGORIOU Total has flowed first oil from Local presence China exit ticipate in the exhibition running in conjunction with the conference at Luanda’s new the huge Dália oilfield, devel- American Bureau of Sonangol’s negotiations with Sinopec have ended state-of-the-art Talatona Conference Centre. oped at a cost of $4 billion.