SONANGOL ISSUE 13 SPRING 2007 ANGOLA | OIL | BUSINESS | CULTURE UNIVERSO Universo ISSUE 13 – SPRING 2007 SWEET MUSIC: Kizomba production ups the tempo ■ FAST FORWARD: Sonangol’s airline invests for growth ■ RARE COLOUR: Angola’s unique birdlife on the wing ISSUE 13 SPRING 2007 INSIDE SONANGOL INSIDE ANGOLA Congratulations! This, the 13th issue 30 of Universo, begins our fourth year of publica- 8. Easy as Kizomba A,B,C tion – a moment that The successful extraction of Block 15’s prolific bounty 30. Green Credentials gives us great pleasure, TENTS is a continuing example of how cutting-edge not least because of technology quickly becomes accepted practice as it Once at the centre of Angola’s coffee the encouragement contributes to local skills and expertise industry, Kwanza Norte is again and compliments we preparing to play an important role in have received. the country’s agricultural sector From our first issue, it has been our mission 36. Banking on the to explain the many remarkable technological feats being played CON Future out in Angola’s offshore oilfields. But we have For years Angolans have missed out gained just as much satisfaction from the on basic banking and financial opportunity to share with our readers a few of services, but now families and the countless wonders and delights of this 8 businesses are growing accustomed to huge and varied country, which has endured facilities that other communities take more than its fair share of strife. 14. Elephant Hunt for granted As the year turns, in Angola’s oil community it is never long before the conversation turns With authoritative forecasts predicting that Africa will to speculation on when in 2007 the long-await- contribute 30 per cent of global hydrocarbon supply 36 40. Fragile Beauty ed “two million barrels per day” will be Sonangol by 2010, attention is increasingly focusing on Among the many unexpected joys of achieved. There is a strong probability that this Rua 1° Congresso do MPLA, Angola’s offshore and onshore oil provinces N.º 8-16 Angola’s countryside is its vibrant and milestone in Angola’s offshore production Caixa Postal 1316, Luanda unique birdlife – but the fine balance could well be passed within the next 12 República de Angola months. Truly a moment for congratulation. Tel: +244 2 391 182 14 that maintains its variety is in danger Fax: +244 2 391 782 Another indication that Angola is now a Telex: 2089 SONANG AN significant player in the global oil and gas [email protected] 46. Stop Stress 18. Flying High industry came with the announcement late last Sonangol USA (Sonusa) As life becomes ever more pressured year that it is to join Opec and that Sonangol is 1177 Enclave Parkway With the continuing growth of Angola’s oil and gas for Luanda’s high-fliers, thankfully to host the prestigious 2nd Regional Second Floor exploration and production activities, the industry’s there are solutions at hand to soothe Houston,TX 77077 Deepwater Offshore West Africa Exploration USA favourite airline is doing well, but also has its eyes 40 away the strains of the day and Production Conference & Exhibition. Tel: +1 281 920 7600 on future opportunities Leading industry figures: engineers, aca- Fax: +1 281 920 7666 [email protected] 50. Planting the Future demics and managers from all over the world, 46 will spend three days at Luanda’s new confer- Sonangol UK Community projects initiated by ence centre to hear presentations on the latest Merevale House outside organisations in Angola often Brompton Place technology and to share their expertise. London SW3 1QE offer unforeseen rewards to all Finally, we are pleased to learn that a United Kingdom participants, fostering a genuine recent illustration in Universo by one of our Tel: +44 207 838 4600 18 contact that reaches far beyond the Fax: +44 207 589 9454 illustrators, Anthony Foronda has been selected Telex: 893212 SONANG initial event 22. French Connection to appear in the Society of Illustrators of Los Sonangol Asia Angeles’ Illustration West 45 exhibition. 3 Temasek Avenue French marine services group Bourbon is one half of --The Editor 31-04 Centennial Tower the successful Sonasurf operation with Sonangol. Singapore 039190 Tel: : +65 64 16 3583 Universo took a trip to Block 17 to see them in action Fax: +65 64 16 3582 Sonangol Department for Communication & Image –– Director: João Rosa Santos; Corporate Communications Assistant: Cristina de Novaes 28. Sharing Deepwater Expertise 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 As Angola’s hydrocarbons production continues to 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 grow, a major conference at Luanda’s state-of-the-art Contributors: Nina Asz, Karen Iley, Bruce McMichael, Cathy Hamlin; Cover Photo: A sonair helicopter lifts off from block 17 (PMP Global) convention centre will play host to leaders of the 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. 22 global oil and gas industry [email protected] 4 SONANGOL UNIVERSO NEWS IN BRIEF Eni has signed a PSA with Joining in First Rights First Oil Sonangol for the 2,984sq.km Angola is to join the influential Organisa- Petrobras, Brazil’s state oil company, has Chevron has started pumping oil from deepwater exploration Block tion of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), signed four production-sharing deals with its Tombua-Landana project as it prepares to 15/06. The deal involves drilling bringing the group its first new member for 35 Sonangol, thereby winning operating rights sign a series of contracts to further develop eight wells and conducting seis- years. From March 2007, Angola will join eleven in Angola for the first time. Under the agree- the Block 14 deepwater fields which lie in mic surveys during the first five fellow-producing countries such as Kuwait, Libya, ments, Petrobras will acquire 3D seismic data depths of between 270m and 370m. years of exploration. Eni arrived Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and the UAE. and then drill offshore exploration wells on First oil flowed from the Landana North- in Angola in 1980 and produces Angola’s membership comes as its oil and natu- shallow-water Block 6/06 in the Kwanza 1 subsea well, which is tied back to the more than 150,000 bpd. ral gas production is set to soar in the coming years basin, as well as the deepwater Block 18/06 existing Benguela-Belize Lobito-Tomboco with billions of dollars being invested in exploration in the Lower Congo basin and Block 26 on compliant piled tower. Devon Energy, the US- and production by American, European and, increas- the deepwater frontier Benguela basin. Petro- International contractor Subsea 7 won the based oil and gas producer, is ingly, by Chinese oil companies. bras will be Block 6/06 operator with a 40 $290m Engineering, Procurement, Installation leading a group which includes The country is expected to deliver upwards of 2m per cent stake, and the initial exploration and Commissioning (Epic) contract in which it Sonangol, Galp and Repsol to bpd in 2008 – almost double its output in 2006 – says phase will see the oil major shoot 3D seismic undertook to deliver and install pipelines, invest $39.6 million in exploring Francisco Lopes da Cunha, Sonangol’s chief geophysicist. In and sink two exploration wells. flowline jumpers, connectors and umbilicals for oil in Angola’s Cabinda 2005 Angolan wells yielded some 1.25m bpd. Recognised as one of the world’s leaders fabricated by Sevenseas Angola Ltd, based at province. Work is expected to Gas production will also increase, with Angola’s Prime Minister Fernando Dias dos Santos in deep-sea oil exploration and production, the Sonils oil service centre, Luanda. start by the end of 2007. reporting that the huge Angola liquefied natural gas project (Angola LNG) will process about five Petrobras has been working in Angola since Production from the completed develop- Roc Oil has signed a two- billion tonnes of gas in its first phase. Speaking in October 2006 at an international meeting in 1979 and describes the country as one of its ment is expected to peak by 2010 at around year contract with Simmons Luanda on the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol’s clean development mechanism – a key investment priorities. 100,000 bpd. Drilling Overseas in which the tool in Angola’s mission to reduce wasteful gas flaring – the prime minister stated that the Simmons 80 rig is expected to project was hugely significant for the country. start drilling onshore Cabinda by Already Sub-Saharan Africa’s second largest oil producer after Nigeria, Angola is also one of the end of May 2007. The rig the world’s fastest growing economies and, according to the IMF, forecast to increase growth by Dalia Blooms will be capable of drilling to 31.4 per cent in 2007. Total’s Dalia Field also came on stream in December 2006 – ILLUSTRATIONS: GREG GRIGORIOU depths of 4,000m. the second FPSO to be commissioned on Block 17. Said to be the largest of its kind in the world, the giant facility is served by 71 InterOil and Vaalco are New Deal Exhibiting Excellence subsea wells and 40km of production flowlines, and has a pro- members of an international Maersk Oil and Occidental Sonangol Distribuadora, Sonangol’s supply and cessing capacity of 240,000 bpd and storage for 2 million barrels.