ANGOLA ’ S SANHA PROJECT SPOTLIGHTS ANGOLA ’ S POTENTIAL AT AEW 2024
• PROJECTS AND EXPLORATION
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ANGOLA ’ S SANHA PROJECT SPOTLIGHTS ANGOLA ’ S POTENTIAL AT AEW 2024
Location : Angola Phase : Exploration Resource : Gas
On 5 November 2024 , it was reported that the Sanha Lean Gas Connection Project in Angola would start production in December 2024 , according to Chevron . Speaking during an Invest in Angola Energies roundtable – sponsored by the ANPG , Sonangol , Azule Energy and ACREP – at African Energy Week ( AEW ): Invest in African Energies 2024 , Toni Henning , commercial general manager at Chevron ’ s Southern Africa Strategic Business Unit , said that the project will deliver gas to the Angola LNG facility .
The USD300-million project comprises the development of a platform that ties into the existing Sanha Condensate complex . Developed by Chevron , the project serves as part of a series of gas-focused investments the company is undertaking in Angola alongside various partners .
“ We have been in Angola for 70 years and it has only been possible because of our strong partners . We lead in gas and have a couple of projects underway . Sanha Lean Gas has always been part of our gas profile in Angola . We had it fabricated in Lobito , with 1 000 direct jobs and 3 000 indirect jobs created ,” Henning said .
We wanted to make the business environment more transparent and more competitive .
More ahead In addition to the Sanha project , Angola ’ s New Gas Consortium ( NGC ) expects production to start at the Quiluma and Maboqueiro fields in late-2025 or early-2026 , according to Adriano Mongini , CEO of NGC operator Azule Energy .
“ The project is progressing well and we are planning start-up for late-2025 . This is the first non-associated gas project in Angola , and hopefully , the first of many ,” he said .
Beyond gas , Angola – sub-Saharan Africa ’ s second largest oil producer – aims to maintain production above one million barrels per day beyond 2027 . To achieve this , the government is incentivising investment in exploration , with the National Oil , Gas & Biofuels Agency ( ANPG ) preparing to launch its 2025 Bid Round in Q1 this year . The round features part of a series of reforms aimed at driving exploration and production .
“ We wanted to make the business environment more transparent and more competitive . We have marginal field opportunities and new legislation for gas , making it possible for investors to have gas rights ,” said Alcides Andrades , executive board member , ANPG .
Through its multi-faceted investment approach , Angola is consolidating its position as an oil and gas heavyweight , and recent developments point to that . TotalEnergies and project partners on the Kaminho Development in Block 20 / 11 made USD6-billion FID in 2024 , for example .
Angola is incentivising investment in exploration , with the National Oil , Gas & Biofuels Agency ( ANPG ) preparing to launch its 2025 Bid Round in Q1 this year .
According to Rui Rodrigues , director , TotalEnergies EP Angola , “ The significance of the Kaminho project is that we are opening a new province in Angola . The majority of Angola ’ s production is derived from the north , but with Kaminho , we are diversifying supply .” He added that TotalEnergies is “ on track to deliver the project by 2028 .”
TotalEnergies also anticipates the Begonia field development to start production in the coming months ( at the time of writing in November 2024 ). McDermott International is leading the EPC support for the project . Mahesh Swaminathan , senior vice president : Global Business Vertical Head at McDermott International explained , “ From an engineering perspective , we are nearly done . The vessel will enter any time soon . We are nearly completed and it ’ s an exciting development .”
In addition to Begonia , McDermott International is focusing on capacity building in Angola . Swaminathan said , “ We are setting up an engineering office in Angola , where we will train engineers from across the world .”
Beyond Kaminho , Angola has an exciting pipeline of projects underway . Katrina Fisher , lead country manager and general manager at ExxonMobil , shared insight into Block 15 - one of Angola ’ s longest-producing assets . “ We celebrated our 30th anniversary of Block 15 in August 2024 and we also recently made a discovery – Likember-01 – at the block , representing our 19th discovery at Block 15 . With this , we have increased our production by 30 % and offset decline .”
Angola ’ s NOC Sonangol – in addition to driving upstream projects – is committed to boosting refining capacity in Angola . Sonangol ’ s
12 • African Mining • February 2025 www . africanmining . co . za