ANPG, in a statement sent to VerAngola, says that work began in Nantong, a Chinese city.
"The National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) and TotalEnergies Angola began this Monday, the 14th, the conversion work of the future floating crude oil production unit, FPSO Kaminho, in the city of Nantong, People's Republic of China", reads the note, which adds that "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 in which the 50th anniversary of national independence is celebrated".
The start of the conversion of the tanker into the future FPSO "was marked by a special ceremony", which took place "during the dry docking of the ship, starting the conversion work".
Thus, the first phases 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".
ANPG's executive director, Ana Miala, presided over the ceremony, which was also attended by ANPG's executive director, Artur Custódio, Sonangol's chairman of the board of directors, Gaspar Martins, TotalEnergies' general director (operator of Block 20), Martin Deffontaines, Petronas' director for Angola, Omar Abdul, senior executives from Sonangol and TotalEnergies, as well as Saipem and CMHI (contractors for the conversion).
"The FPSO Kaminho will be connected to a submarine network that will produce the discoveries in the Cameia and Golfinho fields, with an expected production of around 70,000 barrels of oil/day, with the investment value budgeted at six billion dollars, announced on May 20, 2024. The start of production is scheduled for 2028", reads the statement.
According to Ana Miala, Kaminho, capable of storing approximately 1,600,000 barrels, will be the "second floating hybrid engine unit in Angola".
Quoted in the note, the administrator said that with this unit the production capacity will be reinforced: "With the FPSO Kaminho, we will strengthen our production capacity and consolidate our strategic vision of guaranteeing the continuity of oil activity in our country."
"We thus ensure the first development in the Kwanza Maritime Basin, while investing in the modernization of our industry and the continuous qualification of human capital", she added.
In turn, the CEO of Sonangol considered that the project "represents collaboration between State entities and partners of Block 20/11".
"The manufacturing of various pieces of equipment will be carried out 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 investments into this new basin", said Gaspar Martins.
"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," highlighted Martin Deffontaines, CEO and Country Manager of TotalEnergies Angola.
"We are Angola's largest producer 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 achievement of its sustainable development goals," he added.
Kaminho "will be fully electric, equipped with the most advanced technology to optimize operations, energy consumption and emissions reduction", having an "advanced centralized power generation system, variable speed compressors and a gas-free system, which contributes significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere", and "in this system, the gas generated by production will be reinjected into the reservoirs".
