ANGOLA: ANPG, TotalEnergies Begin Work on  FPSO Kaminho

The National Agency of Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG) and TotalEnergies Angola began work on Monday, 14 April, on the conversion of the future floating crude oil production unit, FPSO Kaminho , in the city of Nantong, People’s Republic of China. This is a significant milestone for a pioneering project that represents the first development in the new Kwanza Basin, a new oil and gas frontier for Angola, in the year that marks the 50th anniversary of national independence.

The start of the conversion of the tanker into the future FPSO was marked by a special ceremony. The event took place during the dry dock of the vessel, marking the beginning of the conversion work. The first stages include dismantling of parts of the structure, which will be carried out by the shipyard of the company CMHI (China Merchants Heavy Industry), under the supervision of the main contractor, Saipem.

The event, presided over by the Executive Director of the National Agency for Oil, Gas and Biofuels, Ana Miala , representing the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Paulino Jerónimo, was attended by the Executive Director of ANPG, Artur Custódio, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sonangol, Gaspar Martins, the General Director of TotalEnergies (operator of Block 20), Martin Deffontaines, the Director of Petronas for Angola, Omar Abdul, senior executives from SONANGOL and TotalEnergies, as well as Saipem and CMHI, companies contracted for the conversion.

The FPSO Kaminho will be connected to a subsea network that will produce the discoveries of the Cameia and Golfinho fields, with an expected production of around 70,000 barrels of oil/day, with an investment value budgeted at 6 billion US Dollars, announced on May 20, 2024. The start of production is scheduled for 2028.

ANPG Executive Director, Ana Miala, highlighted that Kaminho, with the capacity to store around 1 million and six hundred thousand barrels of oil, will be a modern Unit, with a very advanced technological component and with high standards of Quality, Health, Safety and Environment.

“With FPSO Kaminho, we will reinforce our production capacity and consolidate our strategic vision of ensuring the continuity of oil activity in our country. We are thus ensuring the first development in the Kwanza Maritime Basin, while investing in the modernization of our industry and in the continuous qualification of Human Capital”, he highlighted.

For the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sonangol, Gaspar Martins, the project represents collaboration between State entities and partners of Block 20/11.

“During the project’s lifetime, various pieces of equipment will be manufactured in our country, with special attention to local content, where around 40 million man-hours will be prepared, involving several national shipyards for the delivery of various pieces of equipment. A new venture means at least 20 years of business opportunities for local service providers, which is very positive. We hope that this investment will pave the way for new geographies and bring more investment into this new basin”, he added.

The General Director and Country Manager of TotalEnergies Angola, Martin Deffontaines , highlighted that

“FPSO KAMINHO is TotalEnergies’ 7th FPSO in Angola. This project uses the latest cutting-edge technology to fit into our Company’s low-emissions production portfolio.”

He also highlights that “we are the largest producer in Angola and a long-standing partner, and in this special year, in which Angola celebrates its 50 years of independence, we reinforce our commitment to continue contributing to the maintenance of the country’s production and support the fulfillment of its sustainable development objectives”.

Kaminho will be fully electric, equipped with the most advanced technology to optimize operations, energy consumption and emissions reduction. It has an advanced centralized power generation system, variable speed compressors and a gas-free system, which contributes significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. In this system, the gas generated by production will be reinjected into the reservoirs.