"The proven experience in the construction of this type of undertaking in various countries around the world, the technical quality of its professionals, the high number of Angolan employees trained in the meantime and who remain linked to the company, are strong arguments for the project owner to have chosen to consider OEC as one of the most suitable suppliers in the field of engineering and construction currently working in Angola," the construction company said in a statement sent to VerAngola.
The company said that its CV includes "vast experience in assembling refineries and oil platforms" in countries such as Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Singapore and England.
The OEC is "seen by several Angolan specialists as being one of the few companies in the market that has the quality and technical expertise needed to meet the deadlines set by the project promoters and already assumed by the government," the statement said.
Cited in the statement, the management of the OEC in Angola said it was "expectant," and if the invitation became a reality, "the company will do everything it can to ensure the quality of the work," and to meet all the deadlines, stressing that they will do so "using specialised Angolan labour.
The refinery will be installed in the Malembo plain, in Cabinda. The project foresees three distinct stages: the first stage will make it possible to refine about 30 thousand barrels of crude oil per day. The second stage will double this capacity (60,000 barrels per day). The third stage will allow the refinery to start producing products such as gasoline and diesel.
Construction is scheduled to start at the end of this month, and is expected to be completed in 2022.
The OEC is owned by Novonor, the former Odebrecht, which decided to change its name in December last year after its involvement in the "Operation Lava Jato" case - which investigates suspected corruption in Brazil.
Just during last year, the company was informed that the US Department of Justice (DoJ) decided to terminate the external, independent monitoring process that had been ongoing at the company since 2017.
"The DoJ's monitoring certified that OEC's compliance system, including its policies and procedures, is designed and implemented to prevent and detect potential violations of anti-corruption laws, fully in line with the Government of Angola's current objectives," the note adds.
