Luanda - The Angolan state oil company Sonangol, which today, February 25th, celebrates 48 years of existence, has the challenge of starting onshore oil exploration this year, after long years of operating only at sea ( offshore).
To achieve this goal, the public company has already successfully completed the drilling of two onshore blocks, located in the Kwanza Onshore Basin, in the commune of Cabo Ledo, municipality of Quissama, province of Luanda.
These are oil wells called 'KON-11' and 'KON-12', with the potential to produce a total of 80 million barrels of oil, 40 million for each block, throughout the exploration period.
Sonangol's 'debut' in the onshore Kwanza Basin marks an important milestone for the Angolan oil industry, as it symbolizes the opening of opportunities for the discovery of more oil and complements exploration carried out offshore, according to the Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo.
This achievement is also extremely relevant, because it comes 27 years after the deactivation of oil operations in these blocks, which had been inactive since 1996.
In addition to Sonangol, which is the operator with 30% of the shares, the blocks also have the partnership of a consortium composed of the companies Brites Oil& Gás, with 25%, Grupo Simples Oil and Atlas Petroleum Exploration Worldwide (20%) each, as well as Ómega Risk Solutions Angola, with 5%.
To date, Sonangol's oil production is mainly carried out in shallow and deep waters, offshore, an operation that entails more production costs, compared to onshore.
Discovered in 1966, the respective fields are located around 120 kilometers from the center of the Angolan capital city. The name KON results from the combination of the words Kwanza and Onshore.
With the motto 'Sonangol, produce to transform', the company also has, among others, the challenge of building the Cabinda refinery, expected to be completed at the end of the second half of 2024, as well as the Lobito refinery (Benguela) , to increasingly reduce the volume of refined imports.
Sonangol's contribution to the national economy
Present in 35 concessions, Sonangol has played a fundamental role in Angola's socioeconomic progress, with emphasis on the average production of 22.7 thousand barrels of oil per day, in nine blocks operated by the company.
According to preliminary data from the 2023 balance report, in total, the State oil company contributes a daily production of 202 thousand barrels, in the 35 concessions where it is present, which represents 18.5% of national production.
With a turnover of 10.9 billion dollars (2023), the company was responsible for refining 221 thousand metric tons of gasoline, produced in the new Platforming Unit of the Luanda Refinery, corresponding to an increase of 162%, compared to 2022 In total, it contributes to 30% of domestic consumption of refined products.
Among the achievements achieved, we also highlight the inauguration of the Gas Reception and Distribution Unit ‘Projecto Falcão 2’ in Soyo, Zaire province, as well as the Caraculo Photovoltaic Plant, with 25 megawatts.
With a workforce of seven thousand and 829 employees (68% men and 32% women), the Angolan National Fuel Society, Sonangol, is the Angolan state-owned oil company, dedicated to the exploration of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons in the underground and on the continental shelf of Angola and responsible for the exploration, production, manufacture, transport and commercialization of hydrocarbons in Angola.
As part of the Privatization Program for State assets and companies, Sonangol will also sell 30% of its assets on the stock exchange.
Historic
Sonangol was created in 1976, with the extinction of ANGOL, Sociedade de Lubrificantes e Combustíveis, Sarl, established in 1953, as a subsidiary of SACOR (Portuguese company), to operate in the area of marketing and distribution of fuels, lubricants and liquefied gases in Angola .
Decree-Law No. 52/76 established Sonangol – Sociedade Nacional de Combustíveis de Angola, UEE, as a state-owned company dedicated to managing the exploration of hydrocarbon resources in the country.
Soon after the founding of Sonangol, to create the infrastructures that would ensure the smooth functioning of this company, a Management Committee was set up, followed by the Central Nucleus of Sonangol.
After independence, several companies that operated locally left the country, leaving their infrastructure and employees behind. For this reason, Sonangol purchased the facilities from Texaco, Fina and Shell and, as a result of an agreement, took over those from Mobil.
In the process, Sonangol also absorbed former workers from these oil companies.
However, the scarcity of qualified human resources in the hydrocarbons area led Sonangol to focus on training staff, with the first group of scholarship holders leaving for Italy, with the support of ENI – Grupo Italiano de Petróleos, and the second for Algeria. These students returned to the country at the end of the 70s, marking Sonangol's entry into a new era. QCB/AC/DOJ
